It isn’t always easy coming back from a war and it isn’t any easier suffering from Post-traumatic Stress (PTS). According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Post-traumatic Stress can occur after an ordeal that involved physical harm or a threat of physical harm. 1.64 million U.S. troops have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001.
Post Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) are the two biggest combat-related concerns according to rand.org. I think that PTS is something that the military has been working on for years, but it isn’t something that you can prevent. It is important for soldiers to talk to a medical professional when experiencing symptoms.
According to newrepublic.com, U.S. soldiers experience PTS at rates of 21 to 29 percent.
A study commissioned by RAND research corporation reported that 14 percent of soldiers report depression.
U.S. Army Sergeant Henry Cruz was in Iraq in 2005, according to the Washington Post, when he heard an explosion and went to assess the situation.
Another soldier didn’t want him to go alone, so they went together. The soldier who tagged along ended up getting killed; Cruz held him in his arms as he died. Cruz was forced into medical retirement because he had symptoms of PTS while struggling with survivor’s guilt. Is this fair?
He had a career of almost 11 years and didn’t want to leave the Army. I understand why the military would decide not to deploy soldiers with medical conditions, but what was the degree of his condition?
The article never stated the degree of his PTS when he was discharged, but, on top of PTS, mentioned his diagnosis with TBI.
Making people unwillingly retire may cause their lives to spiral such as Cruz’s did. He struggled with many problems, but was able to pick himself back up.
I can’t say that I understand why they get survivor’s guilt. I would hope that any man or woman who comes back from a war knows that they are a hero, no matter what has happened.
Newrepublic.com also said that U.S. Soldiers are younger than most soldiers in other countries. Many of these soldiers who develop PTS are not able to cope and have a hard time working up the courage to talk to someone about it.
I think that anyone who develops PTS has a hard time accepting and dealing with it. The military is trying to teach their soldiers how to handle these issues.
In the movie “Unbroken,” the Olympian Louis Zamperini was stranded at sea for 47 days and spent two years in a Japanese prison camp. He ended up developing PTS while also having a problem with alcohol. On westernjournalism.com, a teacher at the University of Southern California said, “In real life, Zamperini’s postwar story has a tremendous ending.”
They said, “He endures years of alcoholism and PTS before a religious awakening.” I hear so many negative stories of people with PTS and how they struggle with it because there isn’t an easy cure. This is a much improved story for current soldiers and citizens to look up to, knowing that there is more to life than PTS.
In the 40s, doctors weren’t as knowledgeable about PTS as they are today. Zamperini was able to cure himself. I don’t think it’s fair for the people that develop PTS to point fingers at the military. All the military can do is raise awareness, advise soldiers to seek medical attention and train their men and women to be the best.
Many soldiers don’t try to get help because of all the stories they hear about people getting kicked out, such as Cruz did.
I believe that the first step to getting better is understanding the illness and accepting it. I can only hope that they realize their reason for living. “I kept telling myself, you’re such hypocrite. You made it back, and now you’re going to end it? There’s always a way. There’s always a solution,” Cruz said.
Heather O’Brien can be contacted at hobrien@kscequinox.com