I have a friend whose husband is a 30 yr old retired solider from the Army do to some major injures. He, like many other soldiers, suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (otherwise known as PTSD). How many of our soldiers are suffering PTSD? I have read anywhere from 8 out of 10 soldiers (that was from 2004 so 7 years have passed since then) to 8-30% of soldiers depending on where they were stationed. Did you also know the suicide rate for soldiers is slightly higher (20.2 per 100,000 persons compared to 19.5 per 100,00 persons) then civivilans.
These men and women leave as one person and are coming home as a completely different person. Sometimes they are so bad I have read many spouses getting a divorce because their spouse has changed so much. What is our government doing to help these soldiers out?! I don't know what they do now but not to long ago our troops came back from Vietman with PTSD and NOTHING was done for them. How do we send off our fellow Americans to fight for us and to help others but then when they come home with some serious mental issues we just turn our back and say not our problem.
I really hope that as we continue to send troops overseas to any war that our government will really take a step back and see that we need to have some kind of mental health system set up not just home but where the soldiers are located to help them not only when they come home but while they are in the thick of things. I'm not military nor is my family so maybe they do have a system set up but it's not good enough for me. I hate to read about these men and women coming home and then they can't function normally without being scared of something haunting them from over there at everything they seen and heard. I couldn't imagine.
Thanks to all the soldiers that have fought for us.
I saw your blog post on Greenbabybargains.com FB page. I was just reading your blog about PTSD and was asking my husband since he's a marine. He was just telling me that things are MUCH better now than then. They are doing a lot to insure that these guys and girls get the help they need, but a lot of it has to do with the person too. The previous general in charge of First Marine Division signed an order saying that no marine from them can PCS(or move to another unit) for 90 days after they get home because no one knows you better than the people you served with so if somethings up they will notice. Also, all over our base are signs for a De stress hotline and every marine, at least in my husband battalion, are required to either carry the card or have the number programmed into their phone. It's little things, but they are trying.
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