Iraq veteran son worried about Dad having PTSD

I don't usually get involved in a "Dear Abby" type of exchange but this morning I was reading Dad, vet, showing signs of PTSD about a letter from an Iraq veteran. His Dad may have PTSD and the son is worried. He and his Dad saw combat but his brothers did not and they seem to not be able to understand what Combat PTSD is. The advice from "Dear Annie" was pretty lousy. She told him to get a VA referral and take the Dad to Yoga. At that point I had to jump in and leave this comment. I hope he reads it.

A VA referral will not work for someone that does not want to go there. Find a local Veterans Center instead where he can talk to other veterans. First explain to your Dad that PTSD only happens after a traumatic event and is not something that he caused. Too many think they are the problem instead of knowing it comes from his emotional strength. The more he can feel, the more he can feel pain. Yoga is great to help him reteach his body how to calm down again but without taking care of his mind and spirit he will not heal. It has to be all three, body, mind and spirit.

Folks PTSD has been studied for over 40 years and none of this is new but unfortunately too many still have the wrong idea of what it is and what caused it. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder literally means "after trauma" and that is the only way to "get it."