Twenty percent of all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans carry either post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression from their service, according to a recent study. This is roughly 400,000 of the 2,000,000 soldiers who have served in the wars. No one knows the extent or impact of Traumatic Brain Injury caused by exposure to multiple explosions. These staggering numbers represent the lasting impact that the atrocities of war can leave on the men and women of our armed forces.
For these soldiers, returning home from the battlefront is relief from combat and the beginning of the fight against psychiatric and neurological disorders.
People with PTSD experience a wide range of symptoms that can be generalized into three main categories: re-experiencing the trauma, avoidance and numbing, and increased anxiety or arousal. Both PTSD and depression make it difficult to assimilate back into society.
But there is some good news for the veterans: these conditions are treatable. Therapy and medications are available for the illnesses, and they have been shown to be effective in both cases. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) also has systems and hospitals in place to take care of individuals suffering from the illnesses.
By Jeremy Benedik
http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=30184
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