Tim Kennedy has a message for soldiers with PTSD

What’s now called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder used to be called Battle Fatigue, and before that, Shell Shock.

But that is only in the 20th century.

Greek historian Herodotus’ offered an account of an Athenian spearman named Epizelus who lost his sight against the Persians, and thereafter couldn’t speak. That was in 49O BC. And potential references go back far farther still, perhaps even to 1300 BC, in ancient Mespotamia.

UFC middleweight Tim Kennedy is a Ranger Qualified Green Beret and decorated combat veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star for valor under fire. He recently made a post on Facebook about PTSD that is easy to sensationalize.

“This is a message of encouragement to get off your ass,” he wrote. “If you see it as anything else or you misconstrue it as me being negative then you are missing the point entirely.”

Via Facebook.

“I’m asked daily about how and why I don’t have PTSD,” he began. “I’m probably the last person on Earth you should ask about this stuff. I have killed kids and women during war. I have seen my friends and fellow soldiers burn alive. My adult life is filled with the things horror movies are made of.

“I could have nightmares every night or be a medicated PTSD victim if I didn’t choose every day to make a difference for myself and more importantly for the men that died to my left and right. I don’t give a f*** about how they say we are supposed to heal. I’ll tell you how to get better. You stop being a pussy. You get up early and train. You train so hard your hands bleed, and you sweat acid. You train so hard you collapse seeing stars. You go get cleaned up. Have a healthy meal. Look your best, dress nice. Then know that the real work is about to start.

“Find something bigger than yourself and pour every ounce of who you are into it. If that’s your family, be the best father on Earth. If you are a cop, firefighter, or a trash man, be the BEST. Know every law, regulation, or route like the back of your hand. Be the best shot on the force. Be in better shape than every officer in the country, and serve the community like it’s your reason for living. When you finally get home, be a generous lover then collapse into bed. You should be falling asleep before your head hits the pillow because you worked so hard every moment of the day. Get up the next day…. and start all over again. At some point, and I’m not sure when, you won’t need to do these things. Get up the next day…. and start all over again.

“At some point, and I’m not sure when, you won’t need to do these things anymore…. but you will, because you know you are making a difference. It won’t be about you getting better or healthier. It will be about you contributing and giving. It will be about being the best version of yourself, and that version is a badass that is hard to kill, that doesn’t give a f*** about what other people think. You do the right thing because you believe in it.

“When you finally get to heaven and get to see your brothers, they will high five you as you walk by because you made their death worth something and made your life meaningful. Hell you might even get a little wink and a pat on the ass from God as you walk by. #greenberet #ranger #sniper #oef #oif #infantry #Isis #pstd

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