Fighting The War Within With Help to Heal PTSD

CBS 8 Special Report: The War Within
Video Report By Gene Kang, Reporter
Posted: May 17, 2016

"Thank God I'm still standing because I have a lot of stuff ahead of me. I can see a future," Tran said.

SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - San Diego is a military town and many men and women who have served our country become our neighbors and friends - but there's a growing problem as they make their transition back to civilian life.

Experts say 30 percent of combat veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), often becoming addicted to drugs and sometimes causing violence in our communities.

CBS News 8's Gene Kang interviewed Pemperton Tran for this report. Tran is an Army combat veteran who served in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. At first glance Tran is a funny, kind and passionate man. There are no outward signs of the struggles he keeps to overcome a dark past.

"When I went to war and came back everything has been shattered. My life was forever altered," said Tran.

The 32-year-old suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder. It's something most people have heard about but may not really understand.

Tran lived on the streets of San Diego after serving in the military.
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When you watch this video, remember the dates mentioned and know that none of this is new. It was the same percentage for Vietnam veterans coming home from where we sent them.