MANY TROOPERS COMING HOME FROM Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from the aftereffects of the experiences of surviving in a combat zone. Vehicular mobilization assignments such as convoys and urban warfare have made this war era unique. Trauma induced by these wartime activities can create vulnerability to stress reactions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (commonly known as PTSD).

PTSD occurs when a person has experienced, witnessed, or has been confronted with a traumatic event, which involved actual or threatened death or serious physical injury to themselves or others. At which point they responded with intense fear,horror, and helplessness.The most recent primary diagnostic criteria for PTSD falls into three groups and are summarized as follows:

-Re-experiencing the trauma(nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts).
-Numbing and avoidance of reminders of the trauma (avoidance of situations, thoughts and feelings).
-Persistent increased arousal(sleep difficulties, irritability, anger outbursts, and startle response,etc.).

Mayor symptoms of PTSD:
-depression
-anger
-isolation
sleep disturbance
-poor concentration
-tendency to react under stress with survival tactics
-hyper-alertness-hyper arousal
-flashbacks to danger and combat
-survivor guilt
-memory impairement
-nightmares
-persistent fatigue
-increase use of alcohol,drugs,tobacco etc...
- changes in eating

and the list goes on and on...

Its a sad story and way of life of us(soldiers) to go thru...

 

hang in there staff sarge...

 

be safe jose.