It seems there are a lot of vets returning from the middle east with issues mostly related to PTSD. It's no wonder considering the long stents of combat assignments each have had to endure, coming home for a brief leave and then quickly returned to the front lines. No other war in American modern combat have so many return assignments to the battlefield been issued. Instead of one or two, now it is not uncommon to hear of six or seven completed before discharge.
Hearing gunfire, bombs, and automatic weapons blasting, booming their thundering rounds, one after the other without rest. Who could listen to the gunfire, the children and mothers screaming in pain, fear and mourning without being shaken. The constant state of high alert they experience in urban warfare, walking thru dark buildings and homes, not knowing what lurks in front of the light could only lead to complete adrenal exhaustion, which in turn leads to depression, apathy, thoughts of suicide. Not mentioning the high from the endorphins that once was pure elation and left a feeling of well being, now robbed simularly to that of a meth junkie once clean and sober.
No real joy is found, nothing makes them smile, laugh, happy without it. Meth leaves the brain drained of these joy giving, pain relieving, little chemicals as does over exposure to high levels of stress rendering life a constant misery, a living Hell. Networks of nerve ending and synapse junctions are fried. Their wounds go beyond physical scars, spreading into mental, neurological, psychological injury. Thus, leaving them succeptible to losing reality and returning to combat without discriminating between victims, because everyone is the enemy.
PTSD should not be taken lightly. These men and women no longer go through a "normal" day. To some, any loud noise or constant sound pollution has the potential to cause a fight or flight response. A sound at night awakens you. Logically, you investigate, first listening and then you proceed looking for the source, which under normal circumstance, was nothing serious.
Under the same scenerio their anxiety climbs. They begin sweating, their heart beats faster, adrenolin hits the blood stream and mixes a bit of psychosis with hallucinations and BAM! They are in Iraq. They are patroling through homes, searching for "the enemy". Unable to rationalize reality the potential for injury, sometimes fatel injury is high.
I've cared for many patients who have suffered with PTSD many times over the 19 yrs of nursing. I have a few comical stories, but despite there amusing qualitiesb nonetheless, this HUMAN BEING SUFFERS! Many divorce. Spouces have a tough time coping, too. Never knowing when your husband's reality will shift into confussion would be a nightmare. The worrying for your children's safety would take a huge too, especially without proper mental health intervention.
Many turn to drugs or alcohol or both trying to feel "normal", calm down, or feel something, anything. They aren't working on being the next visitor to the state pen nor do the wish to be a guest on "Jerry". They are trying to rediscover who they are, live again and recapture the lives left behind.
But, without help the only thing to look forward to is a mental institute, prison, losing family, losing possessions or becoming a homeless addict unable to care for themselves or suicide. A few states have begun having court cases dealt with through a military court allowing the veteran an opportunity for rehabilitation and avoidance of jail time, but that isn't enough!
More courts need to be focusssed on helping them get healed and more facilities need to house them until the problem is better controlled offering counsiling and medications if necessary. Sadly, they fall thru cracks at discharge. Rather C.O.'s ignore the problem or don't see it progressing slowly within their men or the G.I. dosnt disclose his issue when filling out the discharge questionaire developed for troops rotating out of commision, asking them if they have symptoms of any psychological problems out of fear of retribution.
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