'You don’t go into a war like this and come out unscathed'

PTSD's toll: 'You don’t go into a war like this and come out unscathed'
By DAHLEEN GLANTON
Chicago Tribune
Published: December 26, 2011

James Dahan, of Lisle, center, stands with his son, Kalel, 4, after going through an eye exam at the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, Illinois, December 14, 2011. Dahan, a Marine, was exposed to over 30 improvised explosive devices while in Iraq and suffers from mild traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. Along with that comes headaches and vision problems that has changed his everyday life. WILLIAM DESHAZER/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

CHICAGO — It was just after midnight when former Marine Cpl. James Dahan was awakened by a faint noise in the distance. Except for the glare of his flashlight, there was darkness all around as he crept from room to room, searching for an unknown enemy.

Windows sealed: check. Doors locked: check. Building secure: check. Yet with people pacing about upstairs, voices he did not recognize billowing through the walls and the incessant roar of traffic outside, he dared not fall asleep. So he stayed up all night repeating the routine over and over again. Dahan returned from Iraq seven years ago. But the horrors of war followed him home. On that night last month, there had been a power outage at his apartment in Lisle, Ill., unleashing memories of the war zone. He stood guard over his sleeping son, while the noises of his neighbors moving about kept Dahan on edge. 

The enemy existed only in his mind. The last convoy of U.S. troops left Iraq last Sunday, but for thousands of veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, the haunting memories might never go away. Since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars began a decade ago, the U.S. Veterans Administration has treated more than 212,000 combat veterans for PTSD, an anxiety disorder resulting from traumatic events during war. read more here