The best within some defeats the worst a few can do

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 9, 2015

It always seems to end this way. Someone decided to use their time and energy to make the world a worse place but they end up making it better. How many times have we gone through  horrific acts only to rediscover the best of what we can offer each other?

It happened right after the first bomb went off in Boston at the marathon. One bomber was killed and the other is getting ready to go on trial.

The Boston Marathon bombings and subsequent related shootings were a series of attacks and incidents which began on April 15, 2013, when two pressure cooker bombs exploded during the Boston Marathon at 2:49 pm EDT, killing 3 people and injuring an estimated 264 others. The bombs exploded about 12 seconds and 210 yards (190 m) apart, near the finish line on Boylston Street.

Instead of running away after the first bomb went off, people ran to help the wounded.

Twelve seconds later, another bomb exploded. More ran to help not knowing if there would be another one or not. The will to help overcame their fear.

It happened in France. The murderers didn't get away with it. Oh, not just the crime itself but they didn't get away with what their goal must have been. Sure people were afraid but they overcame that fear, gathered together while the murderers were still running around and they sent a message. "Not Afraid"

I Am Charlie’: ’Je Suis Charlie’ goes viral after France attack People gather in solidarity of the victims of a terror attack against a satirical newspaper, in Paris, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. Masked gunmen shouting "Allahu akbar!" stormed the Paris offices of a satirical newspaper Wednesday, killing 12 people, including the paper's editor, before escaping in a getaway car. It was France's deadliest terror attack in living memory. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

I have a feeling they were at least a little afraid but their need to show they were not willing to live in fear was remarkable.

Now it looks as if there has been some closure.

France: Raids kill 3 suspects, including 2 wanted in Charlie Hebdo attack
CNN
By Greg Botelho
Updated 3:01 PM ET, Fri January 9, 2015

(CNN)A pair of dramatic raids Friday in France led to the killing of three terrorists -- one suspected in the fatal shooting of a policewoman, the other two in the massacre at the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine -- and to the freeing of at least some of those they were holding hostage.

The French government's work is not over. There's still a lot of healing to do, a lot of questions to answer about how to prevent future attacks, and the fact that a woman wanted in the policewoman's shooting remains at large.

Still, as Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said, "The nation is relieved tonight."
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Closure for the murderers anyway. As for the people, this will go on and on long after the names of the murderers have slipped off memories of the days people stood up to murderers and said WE WIN! Not defeated. Not forced to hide their love for other humans, the need to be connected with mercy and compassion.

That is what murderers never really understand. They can take a life but they can't take the best we have out of the living.

Average people do it all the time. Some run to help while others, understandably, run away. It is just the need to help is stronger than self-preservation.

It happens in the military when average men and women decide they want to do whatever they can to be of service to others. Among the many careers they could train for, they pick the hardest one of all.

They join during peacetime like they did between the major wars Gulf War (1991) and Afghanistan (2001) and Somalia (1993) Haiti (1994) Kosovo (1999) They did it all even after veterans of Vietnam were mistreated by the public for years.

There were many examples of compassion in Vietnam. Because brave photojournalists we were shown exactly what that looked like.

For everyone of the wounded, many more decided to risk their lives to help them survive. In this picture there are at least 7 others risking their lives for this 1 wounded soldier.

It is the depth of their ability to care for others more than themselves that causes so much pain and grieving.  The more they feel, the more they feel it all.

It is by that same strength they can overcome the worst that is happening inside of them.  That same strength can help them heal.  They just need to look at things in a different way because while they were focusing on the worst man was capable of doing to others, the best man was busy doing all he could do for others.

There is no cure for PTSD but no one is frozen the way they are today.  They can heal.  They can get better and live happier lives.  They still have a lot more to give to others and thank God they do because the best that is within them has not seen the end of their story.

Canadian Terrorist Attacks Prove Love Stronger Than Hate

What will it take for terrorists to understand they cannot defeat love? How dumb are they? How do they waste their days hating so much instead of enjoying the emotion of love, experiencing tenderness, along with everything else that makes life worth living?

Tributes to Canada Soldier as Shaken Parliament Returns to Work
NBC News

Sweet tribute: Pittsburgh NHL fans sing 'O Canada' after Ottawa shootings
While courage is required to serve in the military, even a bully has some sort of courage but his love is for himself alone. To risk your life serving your country, it requires courage but above that, it requires being selfless. It is love for those you serve with causing you to put your life on the line, knowingly risking everything for the sake of someone else. That is something terrorists will never understand and will never, ever be able to defeat.

They can claim they are doing it for "their people" but then they would not be killing their own or putting their lives on the line so they can kill off more of those they see as enemies. They can claim they are doing it for "religious" reasons but the truth is, they use it and hide behind it.

They do not seek better lives for their own families or anyone else. They thrive on hatred and anger, feeding off fear but even as they do cause some to be afraid, they never win. Even with your fear, even in your emotional pain, you still refuse to surrender to it.

Most of the time after PTSD has set in while deployed, you do not allow yourself to suffer or feel it. You keep going until all those you are with are out of danger. Then and only then do you focus on yourself. That requires love in the purest form. A love that seeks nothing for yourself.

These are horrible times but there have been horrible times before. Each time during the history of civilization, those horrible times only came to an end when good people stood up against bullies and terrorists and said they would not surrender, refusing to allow them to take away all that is good in life.

Hundreds of angels filled the field after Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville

'A field of angels'
Author to host book signing in Jackson for memoir on 9/11 and United Airlines Flight 93
Jackson Sun.com
June 6, 2013

Lillie Leonardi was one of hundreds of law enforcement personnel, including FBI agents and other first responders who gathered in a field near Shanksville, Pa., only hours after United Airlines Flight 93 plowed into the ground there on Sept. 11, 2001. Like everyone that day, she saw the devastation of the plane crash and the loss of human life.

She also saw what she has described many times as hundreds of angels appear on the field near the crash. Despite the shock of the aircraft crash and the angelic vision, the former community outreach specialist performed her duty along with everyone else sent to the site.

“It took me a moment to get a grip. I sucked it up, and I did what I had to do,” she said in an interview with The Jackson Sun. For 13 days, amid myriad other duties, she served on and off site as liaison between the FBI and the United Airlines Humanitarian Team.

The events of that day became in her mind “a film that repeatedly rewinds and plays back time and time again.” Diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), she retired from her position with the FBI in 2008. In addition to writing books, which sprang from personal journals she started keeping as a part of the healing process, Leonardi is a regular blogger for the website Huffington Post.
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Lawmakers push to have Fort Hood massacre classified as Terror Attack

Lawmakers seek to reclassify Fort Hood shootings as terror attack
UPI
Published: May 7, 2013

WASHINGTON, May 7 (UPI) -- Three members of Congress asked the U.S. Defense Department again to classify the 2009 shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, a terrorist attack.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel this week, Reps Tom Rooney, R-Fla.; Chaka Fattah, D-Pa.; and Frank Wolf, R-Va., said the decision soon after the attack to treat it as workplace violence rather than a terrorist attack "has since resulted in an embarrassing lack of care and treatment by our military for the victims and their families," Stars and Stripes reported Monday.

Lawmakers and officials of the Obama administration have been at odds over the designation of the incident in which 14 people were killed and 32 more were wounded.
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Landing gear of plane that hit Twin Tower found

NY police: Landing gear part found, is tied to 9/11
By Chelsea J. Carter and Rob Frehse
CNN
updated 6:52 PM EDT, Fri April 26, 2013

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Authorities will decide after an inspection whether to sift the soil for remains
The part was discovered behind the site of a planned Islamic community center
Surveyors called police on Wednesday, saying they found "damaged machinery"
Police believe the piece is part of a landing gear from one of the 9/11 airliners

New York (CNN) -- A piece of one of the airliners that hit the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001, has been found behind the planned site of an Islamic community center near ground zero, the New York Police Department said Friday.

Part of a landing gear was discovered wedged between 51 Park Place -- the site of the controversial community center -- and another building just blocks from ground zero and "includes a clearly visible Boeing identification number," police said in a written statement.

The part was discovered Wednesday by surveyors hired by a property owner. They called 911 to report that they'd found "apparently damaged machinery," the police said.

Part of a landing gear was discovered wedged between 51 Park Place and another building. "The NYPD is securing the location as it would a crime scene, documenting it photographically ," the statement said.
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No Purple Hearts for being shot, no medals for saving lives at Fort Hood

No Purple Hearts for being shot, no medals for saving lives.

This is the biggest reason it should be considered "Combat related" because had this been in Iraq or Afghanistan and they were taken by surprise, unarmed, they would have been treated as combat wounded. This was actually worse than that simply because it happened in one of the most "safest" places in this country. A military base called Fort Hood.

Despite extensive evidence that Hasan was in communication with al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki prior to the attack, the military has denied the victims a Purple Heart and is treating the incident as "workplace violence" instead of "combat related" or terrorism.

If you have never been to Fort Hood, it is the size of a small city. It is where families live, shop, go to school and no one is walking around with guns. That is why the damage done by this attack did more harm than anything else. The murderer was one of their own, promoted no matter what was known about him or what superiors were concerned with. The soldiers deserved so much better before this happened and afterwards, so much more than what they got.

Members of Congress Demand Obama Administration Classify Ft. Hood Attack as an "Act of Terrorism"
ABC News
By NED BERKOWITZ
Feb. 13, 2013

In the wake of an ABC News story detailing claims by victims of the Fort Hood shooting that they have been neglected by the military and 'betrayed' by President Obama, the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee has sent a letter to his fellow members of Congress demanding that the Obama administration classify the attack as a terrorist act and provide full benefits to the victims and their families.

"It is time for the administration to recognize the Fort Hood shooting for what it is—an act of terrorism," wrote Rep. Michael McCaul, R.-Texas, in a letter cosigned by Rep. Frank Wolf, R.-Virginia. "To date, the Department of Defense and the Army classify this attack [as] 'workplace violence,' despite mountains of evidence [that] clearly proves the Ft. Hood shooting was an act of terror."

The letter recommends that members of Congress view the ABC News report, "which highlights the broken promises made to the victims of that attack by the Obama Administration. The video contains never-seen-before footage of the terrorist attack and moving interviews with several of the survivors."

"As this news piece makes clear," wrote McCaul and Wolf, "the result of this inexcusable [workplace violence] classification … is that victims and their families have not received the same recognition or medical and financial benefits as those wounded or killed in war."
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Soldier found guilty of trying to blow up Fort Hood families

It seemed important to add "families" into the title of this report. I've been on Fort Hood, ate in the food court a few times and it is full of families along with soldiers.

AWOL Muslim soldier guilty in plot to blow up eatery full of Fort Hood troops
He was found at motel with numerous bomb-making components
AP
updated 5/24/2012

WACO, Texas — A federal jury on Thursday convicted a Muslim soldier on six charges in connection with a failed plot to blow up a Texas restaurant full of Fort Hood troops, his religious mission to get "justice" for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Jurors in U.S. District Court in Waco deliberated a little more than an hour before finding Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo guilty of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempted murder of U.S. officers or employees, and four counts of possessing a weapon in furtherance of a federal crime of violence — two involving a gun and two involving a destructive device.
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Police find clues in potential car bomb vehicle

Police find clues in potential car bomb vehicle
From Susan Candiotti and Jeanne Meserve, CNN
May 2, 2010 11:00 a.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Vehicle Identification Number found on potential car bomb vehicle

SUV found in Times Square had propane tanks, gas cans, NYC mayor says

Vendor saw smoke coming from box in car, notified police

Police looking at surveillance video to determine who left vehicle

(CNN) -- A T-shirt vendor who noticed smoke coming out of a dark green sport utility vehicle alerted police to what turned out to be a potential bomb placed in the city's iconic Times Square -- teeming with tourists and theater-goers on a balmy spring evening.

"We avoided what could have been a very deadly event," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg early Sunday morning. "It certainly could have exploded and had a pretty big fire and a decent amount of explosive impact."

The atmosphere at Times Square returned to normal Sunday, but questions remained about the contents of the vehicle.

Two federal officials said Sunday it was too early to tell whether the incident involved al Qaeda or another international terror group. The national threat level remained at yellow, or elevated.
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Police find clues in potential car bomb vehicle

Passenger stops terrorist on plane

Device was on fire in terror suspect's lap, plane passenger says
December 26, 2009 7:46 a.m. EST

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Passenger says he grabbed device, subdued suspect
Nigerian in custody "talking a lot," U.S. official says after incident
Flight crew put out small fire on plane with extinguishers
Obama orders "all appropriate measures" to increase security
Romulus, Michigan (CNN) -- A Nigerian man is "talking a lot" to the FBI, said a senior U.S. official, after what the United States believes was an attempted terrorist attack on an inbound international flight.

The initial impression is that the suspect was acting alone and did not have any formal connections to organized terrorist groups, said the official, who is familiar with the investigation.

The suspect, identified by a U.S. government official as 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, ignited a small explosive device Friday, shortly before a Northwest flight from Amsterdam, Netherlands, landed at Detroit Metro Airport in Michigan.

Passenger Jasper Schuringa told CNN that with the aid of the cabin crew, he helped subdue and isolate Abdulmutallab.
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/12/26/airline.attack/index.html

Can you bless a peacemaker?

by Chaplain Kathie
Even if you have not read the Bible by yourself, the chances are you've at least heard the Beatitudes without knowing exactly where the words came from.

Matthew 5 (King James Version);


Matthew 5
1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

The most amazing people I've come across are the people with the ability to forgive. They somehow manage to overcome their pain and anger to forgive the person. Wanting revenge is a human emotion we all feel and it's powerful. It changes the way we think about the world. If that is all we focus on, we miss the point of forgiving. Read the Beatitudes again. Can you see how they connect to you and what is good for you? They are not there for the sake of the person doing the wrong. They are there for you and your own soul. Carrying anger, hatred and focusing on revenge is not good for you.

If you think that it's impossible to forgive someone for hurting you, think of Christ. He was an innocent person and we all know He did not deserve to die the way He did. He preached love, peace, compassion, generosity, mercy, forgiveness and love, but He was hated, beaten and nailed to a cross. In His dying moments, He did not ask for revenge. He asked that the people responsible for all of it to be forgiven.

Now I'm sure when you think about it, the people there watching Him die, feeling justified, suddenly felt sick to their stomachs upon hearing those words. Their conscience must have been eating away at them as they walked home. Maybe they felt they let their anger get out of hand? Maybe they thought they had just witnessed the killing of a beautiful man? Maybe, just maybe, they lived out the rest of their days trying to make up for being so wrong? We don't know what happened to the people in the crowd cheering for the death of Christ. What we do know is that Christ changed the hearts and minds of generations with His love.

Deepak Chopra said "Cursed are the Peacemakers" and in a way he's right. Seeking peace is seen by many as weakness and revenge is seen as strength. Yet seeking peace takes more courage because of the prevailing attitude. Those seeking it are cursed by those wanting revenge.

When I saw the title of this peace by Deepak, I thought it was going to be about PTSD and the men and women serving in the military. Again, one more point we miss. They are not joining with the thought of killing foremost in their minds. They join with defending the nation at the top of their priorities. As humans, many of them suffer for what they go through while trying to defend the rest of us. They go from hero to being outcasts by a society that refuses to see they are wounded.

Two thirds of the American people do not know what PTSD is. What does this say about them? It shows they are willing to cheer as they go off to risk their lives, but is also shows their attention span ends there and does not resume until they hear the word "victory" when the war ends. The jubilation soon ends, crowds forget all about it, walk away and never once acknowledging the war did not end inside for many of the warriors. We do not value the courage they have within them, allowing them to be willing to risk their lives by the same heart paying the price for being willing to lay down their lives for the sake of others. In doing so, they end up cursed among us instead of appreciated enough that we reach out our hands to them and help them heal. It's just easier to ignore them and then believe they are the ones to blame for their own suffering.

How can we walk away feeling justified instead of seeing how very wrong we have been when it comes to them as well?

India is experiencing the wound of PTSD after the attacks by terrorists. The reports have already begun to show how deeply they have been wounded emotionally. Please read this article by Deepak and then say a prayer for the suffering. Pray they overcome and find peace within themselves and then say a prayer for our own troops/veterans, that they also find peace within.

Cursed are the peacemakers


Deepak Chopra

Monday, December 8, 2008
The catastrophic and horrendous attacks in Mumbai are being labeled as India's 9/11.

Several thousand innocent civilians have already died in India as the result of bombings over the past few years. But this particular attack, striking at the most prestigious sites in the country's most prestigious city, has had a unique psychological effect. As with 9/11, a symbolic wound has been opened. The image of India as progressive and modern has been shattered.

The Mumbai tragedy threatens to become 9/11 in a darker way, however. It is the ignition point for fear and hatred of "the other." For Americans, "the other" arrived as a band of jihadist fanatics, a class of enemy we had barely paid attention to before we were attacked. In the case of Mumbai, "the other" is ready-made, since India has long hated and fought against Pakistan. Bitter recriminations and saber rattling are standard fare between the two countries. It will be gospel among the Indian population that Pakistan is totally responsible for the raids.

Making peace in such an inflamed situation is impossible. Curses fall on anyone who suggests that a sane approach needs to be taken, one that isn't rife with fear and suspicion. Here we have something small to be grateful for. The Bush administration didn't use the Mumbai attacks as an excuse to rev up fear and loathing in this country. This shows rare restraint. Such calmness could lead to productive action.

We don't need new information about the problem of Islamic terrorism. The situation has been analyzed over and over since 9/11. There's nothing more to understand. The tinderbox is there, ready to explode at any moment.
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Study Finds High Ground Zero Stress

Study Finds High Ground Zero Stress
By ANTHONY DePALMA
Published: May 21, 2008
A new study by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine suggests that the percentage of ground zero workers who suffered post-traumatic stress is roughly the same as for airline crash recovery workers and returning Afghanistan war veterans.

The study of 10,132 workers, published in the scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives and released Tuesday, showed that roughly one in 10 rescue and recovery workers who toiled at the site of the destroyed World Trade Center in 2001 and 2002 reported disturbing flashbacks and recurring nightmares.

The results are based on self-reported symptoms provided by workers when they filled out a questionnaire during the study period, which began 10 months after the twin towers collapsed and continued for five years.

Workers with post-traumatic stress reported experiencing symptoms associated with the disorder — intrusive memories, insomnia and numbness of emotions — in the month before they were interviewed.

The study also found that stress can exacerbate a range of medical conditions, including heart, lung, stomach and autoimmune disorders, caused by environmental exposures.

Of the workers who participated in the study, 11.1 percent met the scientific criteria for probable post-traumatic stress. That is about the same percentage as for returning war veterans and is significantly higher than the 3 to 4 percent found in the general adult population.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/nyregion/21mental.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin

Their bodies walked away,,,,,,,

but their minds never left.

With PTSD, they travel back in time. They see it all as if time became a magnet pulling them back to the event that changed them in an instant. The smell of the debris returns. The sounds of the crunching under their feet, the sounds of the equipment running, the voices of their friends, all of it reverberates in their ears. They feel their strength being drained from them, muscles ache from being tightened under the stress of the urgency. The disbelief of what they witnessed returns. It's like a horror movie replaying over and over again, only with this, they are there.

We are all just humans. No matter how much training provided to do jobs very few are willing to do, no training can dehumanize any of us enough to be untouched, unmoved, unchanged.

Soldiers train to kill but no one can train them to escape all that makes them human.

Police officers are trained to protect citizens and often this places their own life in danger. They are placed in positions when they have to make a life or death decision, but often they cannot simply deal with what comes after.

Firefighters and emergency responders, are trained to rescue and take care of citizens but there is no amount of training that can make them immune to the carnage they find after an accident or after a fire.

So how is it that so few of us understand what any of them go through? Is it because we depend on them to take care of us that we forget they sometimes need someone to take care of them?

UK: July 7th terror hit produced many PTSD wounded

255 survivors of July 7 attacks treated for stress
By Judith Duffy, Health Correspondent
‘Good recovery’ for patients
Comment | Read Comments (1)
APIONEERING MENTAL health screening programme set up in the wake of the London bombings has treated more than 200 people for problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

The NHS initiative set up a team dedicated to identifying and offering specialist treatment to those suffering from long-term trauma after being caught up in the terrorist attacks in 2005.

The July 7 attack was the largest mass casualty event in the UK since the second world war, with 56 deaths and 775 casualties among the 4000 passengers involved. It is the first time such a screening programme has been used in the UK, and it is hoped it could be used as a model for any major incidents or disasters in the future.

An interim study on the programme, which will be presented at a British Psychological Society meeting this Friday, revealed that 255 people had been referred for treatment by May 2007. The majority - 71% - were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, with other problems including travel phobia, anxiety disorder and major depression.
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This above all must be noted whenever looking at treating PTSD

"We were able to identify people who did have significant problems and get them in treatment and so far there is a good recovery rate," he said.