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Ptsd

PTSD: The War Comes Home
For millions of American citizens, the sound of the neighbor starting up their lawnmower or hearing the clatter of rain on the roof is just normal sounds of spring. However, for one third of our returning troops, these common sounds are momentarily terrifying. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is not a new concept to the military. After Vietnam, soldiers were labeled as "shell-shocked", a colloquialism for PTSD. Another coined term was the "one hundred yard stare" bestowed on the more severely affected veteran. These labels were cancerous in regard to the soldiers military career- no longer perceived to be competent or worthy of advancement. Their military careers were not the only victims in the difficult transition home; families were unaware of the psychological impact and residual effects the war had inflicted. If you didn't receive a "Dear John" while you were away, chances are you received the equivalent a few months after your return. Imagine your son leaving for combat and coming back a stranger- if he came back at all. This was and is the reality for many parents, wives, girlfriends and children of a war veteran.
PTSD is not only related to combat troops, but also to troops on peace-keeping missions as was our duty in Desert Storm. The anxiety of potential harm to oneself or having to inflict harm on another human being can be just as stressful, even if the situation never presents itself. Although troops in high-combat zones like Iraq are statistically superior in PTSD diagnoses, troops in less volatile Afghanistan are also seeking treatment for mental anguishes symptomatic of PTSD. An article in Psychiatric News states that, "Soldiers and Marines returning from Iraq were twice as likely to screen positive for PTSD as those who served in Afghanistan (9.8 percent vs. 4.7 percent)". On the bright side, it seems as if our military has recently decided to be markedly proactive about screening and providing support for our returning...