Traumatized soldiers told they are not alone

Traumatized soldiers told they are not alone
By Susan Herendeen
sherendeen@modbee.com

People can heal any hurt, including the lingering trauma that comes from being a soldier in a combat zone, according to an expert on family violence, who gave a presentation Saturday sponsored by the American GI Forum at Teamsters Hall in Modesto.

But the stigma that comes with mental illness means many veterans won't ask for help, even if they are so tense and anxious that they are "on guard" at all times.

Researchers worry that domestic violence will rise because an increasing number of veterans are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after serving multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.


As a result, the veteran's group is using a $75,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to sponsor domestic violence prevention programs at its 25 chapters across California.

In Modesto, therapist Jerry Tello assured a dozen former soldiers and their families that they are not alone.

"The second war is the recovery," said Tello, who served in the Vietnam War after being drafted into the Army. He is director of the Sacred Circles Healing Center in Whittier and says lingering trauma can make people turn to violence or drugs because they are hypersensitive to everyday stressors.
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Traumatized soldiers told they are not alone