RECKLESS BEHAVIOR 1
Recklessness may be a sign of other challenges
After serving, some Veterans seek out risky situations for a thrill. Other Veterans may act recklessly without thinking about the consequences. Hear stories from these Veterans, who realized they needed a change after living on the edge. With counseling and treatment, they made changes and are living more fulfilling lives.
What is reckless behavior?
Maybe you’ve noticed lately you’re a lot more interested in risky and dangerous activities. Or perhaps you’re pushing things to the extreme, spending large amounts of money on a whim, or not thinking about the consequences of your actions until it’s too late. If this is the case, you may be showing signs of reckless behavior.
Serving in the military, especially if you were in a combat zone, can sometimes require engaging in a certain amount of risk to stay alive and protect yourself. However, engaging in risky behavior on an ongoing basis — particularly once you’ve returned from deployment or just in order to get an adrenaline rush — can lead to serious injury or death.
“Serving in a combat zone made civilian life kind of boring. When I first got back, I felt like ‘civilian’ rules just didn’t apply to me.”
The reasons for pursuing reckless behavior differ from person to person and may or may not be directly related to the kinds of dangerous situations someone encountered in the military. Your reckless behavior may seem minor, like not wanting to obey speed limits and traffic lights, or more risky, such as driving extremely fast or picking a fight with people who irritate you. Many people who repeatedly do reckless things are seeking a feeling of excitement. For some people, however, no risky behavior ever seems to be exciting enough — no matter how thrilling the activity.
Choosing to engage in reckless behavior affects more people than just you. It can also cause the people you care about to worry, and can be dangerous to yourself and others.
Reckless behavior is different from acting irresponsibly only once in a while. A pattern of reckless behavior may involve the following features:
- Repeatedly going over the limit in almost any activity
- Doing risky or hurtful things to yourself or others
- Putting others at risk
- Ignoring or not thinking about the potential results of risky activities
- Not paying attention to others’ concerns about your actions
- Feeling regret after irresponsible actions
What can I do if I’ve noticed myself engaging in reckless behavior?
There are things you can do to prevent yourself from engaging in risky behavior. Try to remember to:
- Establish periods of downtime, especially if you often feel riled up, overly excited, or angry.
- Take deep breaths when you feel stressed, and give yourself a break by relaxing in a peaceful, quiet place.
- Plan ahead to avoid situations that might lead to reckless or dangerous behavior—for example, try to leave early or late to avoid rush-hour traffic, or arrange for a ride home if you’ll be drinking.
- Recognize cycles of reckless behavior and work with your close family and friends to identify and avoid them.
- Find safe ways of getting an adrenaline rush in new activities that won’t lead to negative consequences.
- Find a way to avoid or get out of potentially risky situations.
“I had this sense of invincibility. But looking back, I see how ridiculous it would have been for me to survive all that time overseas just to come back and hurt or kill myself in some reckless stunt.”
Your close friends or family may be the first to notice your reckless behavior. Consider sharing with them what you’re feeling and experiencing that leads to this behavior and ask what they’ve noticed. They may be able to provide support and help you find resources to address the issues you’re dealing with.
NEED HELP NOW?
Call The Veterans Crisis Line at (800) 273-8255 And Press 1. Or Send A Text Message To The Veterans Crisis Line At 838255.
Free, confidential support 24 / 7 / 365.
TAKE ACTION!
Give the San Jose Vet Center a call, at (408) 993-0729 to get back to your best life.
In Addition to the VA, here are some Community Mental Health Resources
In Addition to the VA, here are some Community Addiction Resources
CALL – EVEN ANONYMOUSLY
San Jose Vet Center is open:
7 AM to Midnight on weekdays
8 AM to 4:30 PM on weekends (including holidays)
Give them a call to get back to your best life. (408) 993-0729
