Local veteran of Iraq war to be featured on MTV show
Austin American-Statesman - Austin,TX,USA
Adam Coleman, 26, will share his experiences with post-traumatic stress disorder in 'True Life' episode.
By Joshunda Sanders
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Round Rock native Adam Coleman, 26, became a Marine to see the world and "do some good," he said. "I thought it'd be an easy way to be proactive and get something accomplished."
Coleman found himself in Iraq three times after he enlisted in 2002. After what he called increasingly violent deployments, Coleman was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder when he left the Marines. The disorder develops in some war veterans and survivors of other traumatic experiences and can trigger violent episodes and flashbacks. Coleman is one of three war veterans featured tonight in a new episode of MTV's documentary series "True Life."
MTV executives say the show reflects the state of youth culture at any given moment by documenting the lives of young people from myriad perspectives. Coleman agreed to be on the show, in part, to raise awareness about the increasing number of young war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress.
A recent Pentagon study estimates that one in six veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan reports symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The condition affects an estimated 7.7 million adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
"PTSD is something that people hear about, but they don't really know what it is," Coleman said. "They imagine Tom Cruise on ('Born on) the Fourth of July' or the crazy Vietnam veteran. But there are a lot of people out there — and new, younger guys coming back — with it. This will give people an opportunity to see what it is and what it's like."
Medication didn't seem to work, though he tried several types, he said. He moved to Alaska for a summer to get away, then tried taking sleeping pills to no avail. In July , he and several other veterans started Save a Vet (saveavet.com ), a charity that raises money to build a treatment center that will not require medication for war veterans suffering from PTSD.
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Adam I just watched MTV True Life and felt compelled to write to you. My heart goes out to you.
ReplyDeleteOne year ago my husband, a Viet Nam Vet, who had done two tours as a grunt, finally hit depression bottom as he thought about you and your comrades going in to face the same thing he had. He took his life and I miss him soooo much. It has been over a year now and I cannot get over it. ONE IMPORTANT thing I wanted to offer you, since you are open to holistic treatment is a sleep nutrient that has helped me tremendously. It is called Inositol and completely non addictive. Also, Melatonine helps ALOT! I admire the work you are doing despite the psychological hurdles you face. What courage!!!
And I thank all over the people who are involved in Save A Vet!!!
This is a most honorable project!
My husband had two large bags of prescription medication coming to our home each month. When I went to our local DAV to tell them he was 'gone", the man I spoke to said that a certain antidepressant was responsible for his mother's death and probably had something to do with Steve's it was the same one). They kept "upping" his dose...along with everything else. They WOULD NOT put PTSD on his records so I am unable to follow through and obtain the benefits they owe him. It's nothing short of a miracle that they have recently,FINALLY officially claimed that Gulf War Syndrome is a real disease. I would like to financially help you but at this time I am unable to. I could send $10.00 or so. I guess every little bit helps. Please try those
nutrients that I suggested. Hope they work for you. With respect and sending you wishes for great success, Judy Gibb
Hi Judy,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for what happened in your life. There are too many stories just like your's. Vietnam vets came home, just like generations before them, not knowing what was wrong or what to do about it.
Different medications work differently simply because we all have our own body chemistry. Therapies are pretty much the same. What works on someone will not work on someone else. That's why it's important to have a wide variety of both to use.
I believe we fail the veterans when we do not educate the public. When two thirds of the general public have no knowledge of what PTSD is, that is a huge problem. We need all communities stepping up across the country, especially for the National Guardsmen and Reservist. They are coming in with 50% PTSD. They also end up back home with no support. Every single service organization's post should be doing outreach work. Every single police department, fire department, religious facility and hospital should be doing outreach work and educating the public. The media is now doing a better job, but they are falling short of how far they can go.
It is so bad for our veterans that this is going to take the entire country, street to street to get involved. We lose more after war than we do during it and if we don't take action, we won't be able to save a lot of their lives. Over 6,000 a year commit suicide and another 10,000 make serious attempts at it. It needs to be taken just as seriously as we take planing to send them into combat.
Hey Adam, this is your cousin Nicole, Mike's daughter. I'm sorry to hear about your condition. I too suffer from PTSD. I was in the U.S. Army from 1998-2001 but never served in wartime situations. My therapist says that even though I wasn't in war I was still affected. Much kudos for sharing your story. You can reach me at myspace.com/godsgunslinger.
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole,
ReplyDeletePTSD is caused by any kind of trauma. It does not take going into combat to be wounded by it. The word trauma is Greek for wound. Any abnormal event can cause it. The good thing is that you're talking about it and getting help to heal.