Former Sen. Max Cleland shows the price that veterans pay
FORMER U.S. Sen Max Cleland,D-Ga., is a living embodiment of What American owe veterans.Having lost three limbs in Vietnam,Cleland now bluntly,boldly and effectively advocates for fellow soldiers.Last Week ,in his act of public service,he announced he is being treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Though Cleland gave few details ,he told the Associated Press he hoped his candor would encourage other veterans to get help.
PTSD ,which is often commingled with depression, can manifest itself years after a trauma in anxiety,hypervigilance and flashbacks. The Department of Veterans Affairs last year reported that PTSD cases rose from 120,265 in 1999 to 215,871 in 2004.
Cleland's original trauma presumably occurred in the 1970's when the decorated veteran served in Vietnam. But Cleland exemplifies the reality that war wounds,both physical and pyschological, may never fully heal.
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