More Than A Man's Best Friend
A Retired Army Sergeant Learns To Cope With PTSD With Help From A Four-Legged Friend
AFAYETTE, Colo., Oct. 6, 2008
(CBS) After terrifying tours of duty in Kuwait, Iraq and Somalia, a retired Army Sergeant is recovering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with the help of a four-legged therapist, reports CBS News correspondent Richard Schlesinger.
For two solid weeks, retired Sgt. Jim Mason and Yankee have been in intensive training.
Yankee is already a fully qualified service dog. It's Mason who is in training. He's learning to use Yankee to cope with what doctors have diagnosed as severe PTSD.
"I know I can say 'hello' to anyone with that dog and they'll smile and say 'hello' back," says Mason.
And that alone is a huge step for Mason, who still feels trapped in the real life nightmares he lived in both Gulf wars and in Somalia - especially Somalia - where his unit was ambushed while trying to provide humanitarian aid.
"I had to kill some people," Mason says as he chokes up.
Fifteen years later, he still can barely talk about it.
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/06/eveningnews/main4505094.shtml
You have my sympathy Jim...My late husband was in Vietnam and although he was never diagnosed..I'm sure he suffered from PTSD also. Hopefully the "powers that be" will hear your story and something will be done. Until then I'm glad that you have Yankee. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that you are loved unconditionally.
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