Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Iraqi Veterans

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Iraqi Veterans
Posted by Allan N. Schwartz, LCSW, PhD on Fri, Feb 15th 2008


Out of a deep sense of respect and honor I feel compelled to write about a wounded veteran of the Iraqi war. The respect I have for him developed from the things I learned about him this week. More than that I learned about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in a way different than I really knew before. This man, who shall remain anonymous in order to protect him, is representative of countless other soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with concussions, brain injuries, loss of limbs and PTSD.

This is the story of a particular soldier who did everything he could to protect his men and do his job in ways that were courageous and necessary. Home, now, from the war, he is not angry or bitter about the army or about the Iraqi people for whom he has nothing bad to say. In fact, as he stated it, the army saved his life because he was on the road to deep trouble as a result of the dysfunctional and violent family in which he grew up. He credits the army with setting him on the right path so that he was able to go to college, get an advanced degree and an excellent job prior to his volunteering for a tour of duty when he was in his late thirties.
go here for the rest


http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=weblog&wlid=5&id=370&cn=109

The veteran has a service dog to help him. He has a second wife to understand him. He has a psychiatrist to treat him. He has what he needs to heal enough to live a life instead of just existing. How many others do not? This is what it takes to cope with PTSD. This is what is needed for all of them. We need to make sure all the support available is provided to all of them or we will keep seeing more and more end up homeless, more marriages dissolve and more veterans take their own lives.