‘It’s okay to not be okay’

A Field of Flags was blowing in the wind Saturday afternoon at the Dodge County Courthouse following the annual Marigold Days program.
Flags are “planted” on the lawn by either family members or volunteers in memory or honor of members of the military and first responders.
Speaker for this year’s program was Dodge County Deputy Sheriff Roger Berge, and his topic was mental health.
Society accepts having cancer, diabetes or a heart condition, he said. But say mental health, and people may cringe. Because of the stigma of mental health issues, Berge said, people hide what they can until they can hide it no more.
Although the situations are different, he said, both members of the military and first responders find themselves suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). In both situations, people deal with situations that are not normal in day-to-day life, he said. A person does not wake up in the morning and say, “I want to be anxious today, or nervous today.”
The differences between the two groups are that the military signed up knowing they might be forced into combat or other situations that are horrible. But when the combat or military service is over, the individual leaves the situation, has a short time to decompress, and then moves back into normal life.
For the first responder, Berge said, that does not happen. That individual faces the same kinds of situations but never truly gets a break. They still, for example, may drive by the location of a horrible accident every day.
In either case, though, events, sounds or other triggers bring back those memories.
Dodge County is fortunate, he said, as there is a great Veterans Service program for the military. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office also has a great program to help first responders to decompress, and the chaplains are also available.
Life is full of ups and downs, Berge said. “I’ve had too many friends with PTSD staying too strong for too long.”
“I ask each of you,” he said, “to talk to someone when everything is going to hell and stress is building. Get over the stigma. It’s okay to not be okay.”
Pastor Rex Edge gave the opening and closing prayers during the ceremony. Kasson American Legion Post 333 posted the colors, and Shannon Peters read the presentation of the names and flags.