PTSD Dealing with the unseen scars of war

[Jeffersons Ghost]

Dealing with the unseen scars of war
By Alex Quade, Special to CNN

Editor's note: Freelance war correspondent Alex Quade recently returned from nearly 18 months in Iraq and Afghanistan covering U.S. special operations forces on combat missions, including for CNN. Quade moderated the recent Defense Forum on Capitol Hill dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

New York (CNN) -- His vivid memories from the battlefield won't go away: a Taliban surface-to-air missile striking a Chinook helicopter, killing everyone on board. The ensuing firefight that nearly killed him.

Shooting down an enemy combatant and watching his body fall, lifeless, in his tracks.

The flashbacks led to post-traumatic stress disorder for the soldier, who shared his story but did not want his name used.

"The helicopter shoot-down stands out as the number one 'Holy s--t, I might die' experience," he said. "But the personal nature of killing bothered me the most."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/ptsd.military.treatment/index.html?hpt=C1

[Meatball]

1. I'm glad to see something like this in the news.

As the son of a vietnam vet, I can tell you that PTSD sucks and it not only affects the soldier but thier family as well, even years and years later. This needs to be taken into account when the country decides to go to war, but sadly, i don't believe that it is.

[w8liftinglady]

2. even more sad-reponse to one of my editorials

"These guys volunteer-they know what they're getting in to.PTSD is just an escape for sissies"

The way the keyboard brigade supports their troops.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. I'm at the VA for radiation therapy and I see a lot of PTSD cases every day