Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or most commonly known as PTSD, is an increasingly widespread disorder that affects people emotionally, psychologically, and behaviorally. This severe anxiety disorder may occur after an intense or traumatic experience in life, such as combat, sexual assault, physical abuse, or a life threatening situation. After coming home from Iraq, my father thought the war was over for him. Eventually, he realized the war he was in will never be over for him or anyone else coming home from overseas. The heroes returning home become emotional hostages of themselves. For some veterans, the war never ended. How we see them is the complete opposite of what they see. When they look in the mirror they see guilt, hate, pain, fear, remorse, confusion, detachment, anger, and helplessness. .
While they have resources to help them cope with this crippling disorder, most of the people suffering never seek help for many reasons such as, the resources are not available to them, and coming from the military most veterans have so pride that they do not reach out for help, as well as not wanting to relive the disasters they went through. However, for those veterans that do seek out help and use it to their advantage have become more and more tolerant to changes of coming back home. I have seen firsthand what simply talking about their trials and experiences can do for them. Even though more than thirty percent of the troops who came back were not the same. .
The first time I have gone with my father to his first VA appointment. Walking through the hospital, everywhere you turn are faces of the people that have protected this country. Through every hallway are pictures, paintings, and flags hanging. Then we get the walkway and it was like walking into a library. Everyone was so quiet and I could immediately tell my father's behavior turned from casual and carefree to serious business.
