Our servicemen give up their lives to serve America — the country they love and honor. They leave the U.S. and face the most harrowing circumstances any human can experience — life or death combat. And it has repercussions…
PTSD….. 22 Veterans daily daily daily daily daily let me repeat daily take their life………..This is heart broken
— Mandy W (@amelylas83) July 25, 2015
The Department of Affairs released a report stating 22 veterans kill themselves every day. The shocking statistic means that every year as many as 8,030 ex-soldiers take their own lives.
I am blessed to have never experienced Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but I do know friends that have and it’s incredibly tough.
The greatest stress the human mind will ever encounter is that of both making life and death decisions and then seeing the consequences of those actions. Faced with not only the death of enemy combatants, but the death of comrades, the serviceman is left to process it all.
NIH.gov defines PTSD as:
PTSD develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers.
Check out this powerful video created by Frankie Hill Pluviose that breaks down what a solider goes through:
From Frankie’s Facebook page,
If you didn’t know, now you do. Make sure you share this post with your friends and family. Share the word and let us know what you thought in our comment section below.
H/T: NIH.gov
Let’s get one thing straight. Our combat veterans go through a hell I can’t even imagine. From time immemorial, PTSD has been a reality, though given different names. I just so happen to be a veteran with PTSD, caused by a different source. I was in a life threatening auto accident. The first four days afterwards, my survival was uncertain. Three years later, I developed multiple pulmonary embolism. The doctor told my wife to call in the family. He didn’t think I would live through the night. Twenty one years later, I am still here. I had a sorry, completely unsympathetic chain of command, who would not/co not accept I was no longer able to work, and did everything they could to delay my retirement, even threatening to reassign me at on point. When I was finally able to get through to them, Medical Evaluation Boards and a retirement date finally came through. When I received my retirement date, I took all my uniforms, military awards and badges to the recruiting station where I had worked, and they were all gratefully received. I am on various medications and occasional therapy, which helps me cope; however, I still don’t sleep well at times. I said all that to say this: there are multiple causes of PTSD.
Let’s get one thing straight. Our combat veterans go through a hell I can’t even imagine. From time immemorial, PTSD has been a reality, though given different names. I just so happen to be a veteran with PTSD, caused by a different source. I was in a life threatening auto accident. The first four days afterwards, my survival was uncertain. Three years later, I developed multiple pulmonary embolism. The doctor told my wife to call in the family. He didn’t think I would live through the night. Twenty one years later, I am still here. I had a sorry, completely unsympathetic chain of command, who would not/co not accept I was no longer able to work, and did everything they could to delay my retirement, even threatening to reassign me at on point. When I was finally able to get through to them, Medical Evaluation Boards and a retirement date finally came through. When I received my retirement date, I took all my uniforms, military awards and badges to the recruiting station where I had worked, and they were all gratefully received. I am on various medications and occasional therapy, which helps me cope; however, I still don’t sleep well at times. I said all that to say this: there are multiple causes of PTSD.