The Heartwarming Way This Veteran Explains His PTSD to His Daughters
When Retired Army 1st Sgt. Seth Kastle returned home to his family in Wakeeney, Kansas, after his latest deployment, he wasn’t his old self — he often felt angry and sad for no clear reason. After 16 years in the army, Kastle was living with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He knew his condition was impacting his children but didn’t know how to explain it to them.
Unable to find the resources for what he needed, Kastle decided to write a book to help him explain PTSD to his kids. “Why Is Dad So Mad?” is a picture book that tells the story of a family of lions who work together to help Papa Lion cope with his PTSD, NBC News reported. Papa Lion is illustrated with a burning flame in his chest.
“In my book, I talk about the fire inside Dad’s chest. To me, that’s what it feels like,” Kastle told NBC News.
Kastle added that he hopes other family members returning home will be able to use this book as a resource. He is already working on his next book, which is about military mothers with PTSD, NBC News reported.
The book is already resonating with Kastle’s daughter, Raegan. “No matter what, I know there’s love,” she says in the video below.
Hear more about Kastle’s heartwarming project in the video below.
“Why Is Dad So Mad” is available now at Kastle Books.
Want to help celebrate the human spirit? Like us on Facebook.
And sign up for what we hope will be your favorite thing to read at night.
Rachel Kassenbrock is an Associate Editor at The Mighty. She recently graduated from the College of Wooster with a degree in English, and has previously written for the Ms. magazine blog and LifeinLA.com. She now lives in Los Angeles where she enjoys live music, being outside and all things coffee-related. You can follow her at @rkassenbrock or email her at rachel@themighty.com.
rachel-kassenbrock