I would like to comment on the email I received today. First, any time we can promote PTSD awareness amongst our military and veterans, we need to do so. One misunderstanding is that PTSD is only found in combat veterans. This is a lie propagated even in the VA system. If you, a friend, or a loved one shows any symptom of PTSD, PLEASE get them help, at the VA if possible, or one of the resources on our Crisis Help Lines page.
Rachel’s* brother, Bryce*, signed up for the Army in the aftermath of September 11. He was determined to join and serve his country.
“My brother went over to Iraq and was frontline infantry,” Rachel says. “When he came back after being deployed, he was just a completely different person.”
When Bryce returned, he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which sadly impacts many of our brave service members.
June 27 is National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day — just one week from today. It’s a time to continue expanding awareness about symptoms and where people can find support — especially for our heroes in uniform who have sacrificed to protect our country.
The USO is committed to supporting our service members who are experiencing PTSD. Our USO Warrior and Family Centers offer music therapy, cooking, art classes and more that can help reduce pain and anxiety. Our USO Canine Program volunteers — therapy dogs and their trained handlers — visit service members, and their families at USO Centers all over the world.
Mike, there are so many stories like Bryce’s — of brave heroes who served our country and need help to heal and move forward.
If you or someone you care about struggles with PTSD symptoms, there is help available. Thank you for showing your support for all our heroes in uniform, past and present.
For the People Who Serve,
The USO
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Well, it is a stress disorder. No one has to go to what our government calls a war zone to experience severe stress.
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One would think that to be true in the military but not so. Any individual can take the PTSD screening bring it to their PCP and the first question asked is where and how long you were deployed. If you did not complete and “official tour” in my day 91 consecutive days in country, WRONG ANSWER, not eligible. I think it is SLOWLY changing. Yet most if not all the Active-Duty suicides of young, non-deployed service members severe stress was noted for quite some time prior.
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That is a weird reaction. One of the things the military is supposed to provide is free medical care. I don’t know of any other illness where they ask a question like that.
If you get poisoned accidentally, you are poisoned, and you need to be treated, and it should be easier to treat you if you are not in a combat zone.
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I retired after 21 years; part of my discharge physical was to get a checkup from the neck up. That was the first questioned asked and was told “guess you don’t have PTSD. 27 years later and a private attorney/representation later, yup I got PTSD all sudden. What the Government is supposed to do and what they actually do are worlds apart.
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