RunderlinedBM for focus.
First and foremost, thank you,
@Combatmedic2121 for your service.
For those who may not be familiar with the “‘I see dead people’ whenever I look at road kill...” comment, and to put it in context, here is what Franz said in reply to the question, “Do you think about Vietnam today?”
“Vietnam will never go away for me. Vietnam is a daily thought and will be what I think about when I take my last breath.
I can’t look at road kill because of Vietnam. I see dead people. I belong to a Vietnam support group where we talk about these things. There are many veterans who don’t know there is a lot of good help out there. All they need to do is contact a VA hospital or veterans center.” (BBM)
Meet Franz Brueger
Knowing that he served in Vietnam, personally, I don’t find the “I can’t look at roadkill” comment alarming at all, though I do find it very sad. As someone who has lived with PTSD for ten-plus years, at least for me, there are certain things, situations, people, places, scents, sounds, etc., that I must avoid because they bring back memories associated with the trauma and trigger flashbacks. I can easily see how for some people the sight of roadkill can bring back memories of Vietnam, which probably, and unfortunately, include dead people.
All of this is just my opinion and perspective based on personal experience, and I am more than happy to agree to disagree.
What I do find alarming, as well as disturbing, however, is your statement that you “say all this because it should be recognized that it is simply a fact that Franz is a mentally ill individual.” It is also troubling to me that you repeatedly refer to it as “fact.” The fact is only a licensed clinician (i.e., psychologist with a psych. Ph.D. or Psy.D., or a psychiatrist) can make that diagnosis.
What Franz’s response to Ms. Hogan’s question indicates to me personally is this is someone who isn’t afraid to talk about his personal struggles or to face them head-on (“I belong to a Vietnam support group where we talk about these things”), and is also trying to help others with similar experiences by sharing information about resources available.