PTSD Revisited

US Military Deaths (in Iraq) 3,859

US Military wounded 28,385.

90% of the wounded survive their injuries, because of advanced medical technology in the field,  but a greater percentage of these men and women are coming home from Iraq with amputations, TBI’s (Traumatic brain injuries), and severe PTSD.

The percentage of amputees returning home from Iraq is the highest since the civil war.

One third of the wounded in Iraq returns home with a traumatic brain injury.

One half of the wounded soldiers are returning home from Iraq are showing signs of PTSD.

“Alive Day” means this is a day a soldier becomes injured and narrowly escapes death. A soldier said this date is burned in your brain.

What I noticed while watching this moving documentary was the absolute dedication, commitment, bravery, honor, and love of country which emanated from the soldiers. Eight out of the 10 soldiers said they would go back to Iraq in a minute to continue to serve their country, help their buddies they left behind, and to help protect our nation.

The soldiers spoke with pride. The soldiers spoke with determination. A statement a soldier said to demonstrate this is “I stared down death and I won!”  The soldiers spoke with great sadness and deep pain in their voice. One soldier said “War is horrible. I don’t like the sounds associated with it. I don’t like the smells associated with it.”

Another soldier said “Everyday I am going to wake up without a foot. Everyday I ask myself, how am I going to get through this?”

After the soldiers told their story I could see the soldiers accepted what cards were dealt to them. Even after suffering life changing injuries the heroes were forward thinking and did not consider their new challenges in life to be an obstacle. I am simply in awe of these courageous individuals.

One of the soldiers told his story about suffering from PTSD symptoms. Once State-side this soldier said his friends and family said he had changed. He felt judged by his civilian friends and family. He said he did not feel welcome in civilian life.

His symptoms consisted of depression, nightmares, racing thoughts especially at night, anger, and irritability. He would retire to bed and the voices of the Iraqis would flood his brain. This soldier mentioned he had to participate in war atrocities involving children. His recurring nightmare included that war atrocity.  What troubled me while listening to his story, the soldier said he was judged by his military peers. He said the soldiers in his infantry mentioned they don’t believe in PTSD symptoms. They think people with PTSD symptoms are weak minded.

Yikes!

PTSD is a real psychiatric disorder. PTSD symptoms can become so bad that it can paralyze your emotional and physical self. The symptoms often include ruminating over the same situation in your mind, feeling numb and out of touch, confusion, anger, irritability, helplessness, and individual symptoms that are unique to you.

Ordinary events of the day can serve as reminders of the trauma and can trigger a flashback of the horrific event. The person can be reminded of the event in a variety of ways, such as: a smell, a taste, a sight, a sound, and by a sensation. A flashback can cause a significant amount of psychological and sometimes, physical pain and distress.

Many people affected with this disorder have trouble sleeping due to nightmares. The lack of sleep is accumulative. A person can become irritable, experience psychosis, and possibly participate in violence because of the loss of sleep, which only compounds the initial problem.

Stimulus that is associated with the traumatic event is persistently avoided by the affected individual. The person will make a conscience effort to avoid thoughts, feelings, and conversations about the event. The avoidant behavior can interfere with relationships. This may cause marital problems, divorce, and loss of a job.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders the associated features to this disorder are: self destructive and impulsive behavior, increased startle response, outbursts of anger, little future orientation, somatic complaints, feeling ineffective, shame, despair, hopelessness, the loss of previously sustained beliefs, hostility, and social withdraw, and feeling constantly threatened.

PTSD is associated with increased rates of depression, substance abuse, panic disorder, social phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, other anxiety disorders, and sometimes bipolar disorder.

The physical body is very commonly, in a constant state of high anxiety or arousal. An increased heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature are examples of this. The intrusive thoughts can come fast and furious. It then becomes very difficult to concentrate. The possibility for general medical conditions to present is not uncommon.

PTSD is to say at the very least, extremely uncomfortable and can take away your life as you remember it before the experienced trauma.

Please, if you are a soldier reading this article, I beg you not to judge your military colleague.

To judge another, especially when he or she is down, is a hateful act. Also, usually people who judge harshly have been judged callously in their own past.

Help your military brother or sister if he or she becomes injured, even if you can not see the injury with your eyes.

Another soldier stated in the documentary “I want to know if my effort and sacrifice matters.”  I pray I am speaking for America here, your sacrifice, your effort, your pain, your new life challenges, your sadness, and sorrow matters. You have been fighting in a war like no other in history. You have participated in a difficult war, full of problems, voluntarily. Yes, you matter, your story matters, and you have made our country a safer place to live because of your effort.

If you get a chance watch the documentary “Alive Day Memories” on HBO. It was profound. I learned a lot about the human spirit and about the determination of the American soldier. Thank you for all that you do to keep us safe.