Do you have demons inside you?

I'm presuming you're talking about PTSD... this is, after all, the military category.

Not really. I get a little tense when I feel the concussion of a blast... like at those big 4th of July fireworks displays. My body goes into combat mode. It would probably be unwise to sneak up behind me and surprise me at such an event. But you won't. I don't go to them any more. I've seen enough fireworks displays in my military career.

Some guys do have their buttons. I was talking to one guy back from the Middle East about politics. He was really getting hot. And I was agreeing with him. The guy's about 6'2" of solid muscle. If he went off he could really do some damage.

Another guy started off at the pool because he believed somebody had lied to him.

But there are civilians with short fuses too. How about those idiots who get behind the wheel of their car and think that the road is exclusively theirs? There are gangs who will kill somebody just because they're wearing the wrong color, or who don't flasn the propler gang sign.

I think a lot of the problems coming back existed before the guys left... the short fuses, the aggressive tendencies, the violent tempers. "Over there" they were allowed to use these modes of behavior to some extent. When they come back, some of them seem to have a hard time getting out of combat mode where sometimes such behavior is acceptable, and into "back home" mode where the behavior isn't acceptable.

On the other hand, some may have been overwhelmed with the "bad stuff" that goes on in combat, and are unable to put it away when they get back. These would be those who experience flash-backs. They are afraid to go to sleep because they're afraid they'll dream about that "bad stuff"... and, since a dream is, to the mind, the real deal, they don't want to go there.

I don't have demons, but I have suffered from nightmares my whole life. I guess you have to take life one day at a time. There are times when I am too afraid to go back to sleep. I will pray for you. Peace be with you.

Wrong category. This is a health question.

what?