Other Casualities of War...

A huge misunderstanding about war is that war is simply about life and death. But one must understand that death isn’t always the most destructive cause of being over seas. Of course my worries subside in my fear that he may never come home, but I also fear that he may never come back the same. I fear that every time Brett looks in the mirror, he sees a casualty of war. And that every time he goes to bed, he is awaken by the horror of his past. If these post affects of war weren’t so common, I may sleep better at night. The fact is that they are every bit as common as the studies on them indicate.

A little background info on the syndrome. PTSD is a psychological response to the experience of intense traumatic events, particularly those that threaten life. It can affect people of any age, culture or gender. It is often times a result of men in the military who have been in life and death situations and who have seen things that most people never see. Feelings of the traumatic event can intrude into the lives of individuals around them (me). They may have nightmares of the event or other frightening themes. Movement, excessive sweating, and sometimes even acting out the dream while still asleep may accompany these nightmares. PTSD can cause depression, anxiety, problems with family and friends (me), the need/want to connect or communicate with others (me).

Brett continues to tell me that he is the same and that he has not allowed his environment to alter his way of thinking, but statistics say that 1 in 8 men returning from Iraq suffer from PTSD. Scary scary thought! Just another reason why this war isn't on my side and I'm not on its'!

For more information on the syndrome and how to cope visit:

http://www.iraqwarveterans.org/ptsd.htm