Each conflict that we face as a nation brings different stress to the families and Servicemembers involved. No one knows the number of soldiers in World War II, Korea, or the Vietnam Wars, respectfully, that suffered from Post Traumatic Stress. During those wars, it was often referred to as “thousand yard stare and did not have the research, knowledge or information that is now available. Further, it was often not diagnosed properly, there were a lot of Veterans that returned who kept to themselves, or who were thought a little odd, or otherwise not the most social of people. It is thought that a lot of those individuals likely had a variation of stress and posttraumatic stress happening in their lives. People who suspect that their loved one has PTSD should urge the Servicemember to be evaluated, and to seek help.
It is quite likely that no one knows the exact number of people affected. And it is something that is bandied about, with that percentage or that number of veterans. Many spouses of Servicemembers know that the one number that is important is one.
The one is the Servicemember that comes home from Afghanistan or Iraq who is suffering from posttraumatic stress symptoms.
PTSD is an insidious thing; it can be dormant and not present itself long after returning home, and the end of a deployment. But then it suddenly is there, the Servicemember is distant, or remote, or detaches from family contact, or has wide mood swings. As a result, there are a lot of counseling programs, group support sessions, and workshops that are trying to get the word out about posttraumatic stress syndrome.
Post Traumatic Stress disorder is something that often manifests itself after one has been home for a while. Sometimes months later the first symptoms occur, and then its time to get help. Studies continue at Walter Reed Army Hospital, and other facilities both military and civilian, but there is a lot to be learned about this disease. It was totally like being on our honeymoon when he first got home, but it didn’t take a year, it happened first within the first month. Suddenly we are arguing all the time, the black moods, the drinking, and the shouting. But we are both working on it, and trying to get healthy, so its looking better all the time,? said one Army wife whose husband returned after a second tour to Iraq.