PTSD Awareness Day

Today, June 27th is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day.

Over one MILLION men and women have now served in Iraq & Afghanistan.

“As he gazed around him the youth felt a flash of astonishment at the blue, pure sky and the sun gleaming on the trees and fields. It was surprising that Nature had gone tranquilly on with her golden process in the midst of so much devilment.” - Red Badge of Courage

For those of you who have read my blog for some time, you know my ex-husband suffered from PTSD. If you want to read the start of our downfall, you can start in May 2010. Obviously, it made his life extremely painful and in turn, affected me negatively as well. You can read books, listen to other seasoned military spouses, and think your spouse is immune. You can also end up very, very wrong as I was. When I speak of my experience with my ex husbands PTSD, in no way am I trying to scare the readers of mine who have husbands and boyfriends deployed. But, the truth is that the point of days like this is to raise awareness and not pretend that PTSD doesn't exist.

Michael Ferris {link}

"In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield." ~ Douglas MacArthur

The National Center for PTSD, established through the VA has incredible resources available to both military families, service members, and civilians alike. If you're an employer who hires vets, there is an education course "PTSD 101" you can take online to give you the information you need on PTSD. This course can be found here. Also on the website are videos of service members explaining their experiences overseas and subsequent PTSD diagnosis, which can be very eye opening. 

Kelly Gough {Link}

"There is disconnection between everything human and what has to be done in combat. Imagine being in an unimaginable situation and having to do the unthinkable" ~PTSD: A Soldier's Perspective

There are also many, many documentaries you can watch on Netflix, Snag Films, or Frontline on PBS. Some that I have seen and recommend are:

*Restrepo

*Brothers at War

*21 Days to Baghdad

*The Way We Get By

*Baghdad Bound: Devil Dog Diaries

*Operation Homecoming

*Gunner Palace

*Wartorn

*When I Came Home

Some helpful books on the topic of military life, PTSD, etc. are:
Down Range: To Iraq and Back by Chuck Dean

Courage After Fire by Keith Armstrong

After the War Zone by Matthew J Friedmen, PhD

Today is all about awareness. About understanding. About recognizing. 

Our service men and women take on exceptional challenges, as do their families. They bare a heavy, heavy burden that we can never fully understand. They are trained to kill, trained to move on and "forget," and that showing emotion is not part of being a soldier. They have a job to do and their minds MUST stay clear and focused at all times. For the safety of themselves and their brother next to them. They are asked to do things nobody should ever have to. They hear things, see things, and smell things they can never erase. I'll never forget M's vivid memories of the "stench" of Iraq. He said it smelled like rotten sewage 24/7. 

I'll be wearing this ribbon at work today in honor of M and all the other service members and families affected by PTSD. It's an invisible war injury that most cannot see. Because of this, many people don't realize they probably know someone who has served and has it. There are lots of varying facts, but more service members have committed suicide this year from PTSD than have died in the wars. As of today, there have been 6,041 deaths from war related incidents. PTSD has claimed MORE than that number. TRAGEDY.

Please stand with me today and share some blog space, Twitter time, or Facebook statuses about PTSD. Show your support for those affected by this horrible disorder.