By Vietnam Veterans of America Tennessee State Council
Battles are still being fought by many mid-Tennessee veterans and active duty military. Now, back home, there’s another battle to take on: Post-Traumatic Stress (PTSD) and suicide.
The conflicts for many veterans are not over as memories of war provide that PTSD has major consequences: depression, family conflicts, homelessness and, sadly, suicide. It can be triggered by a terrifying event, either witnessed or experienced. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
“More American service members, both active-duty and veterans, have committed suicide over the past decade than made the supreme sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan combined,” Barry Rice, president of the Tennessee State Council, Vietnam Veterans of America, said.
“When called to duty, Vietnam veterans answered. Now, as citizens, we are answering the call of our brothers in arms, and families, in their darkest hour of need.”
There are 2.3 million veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and somewhere between 2 percent and 14 percent have been diagnosed with PTSD.
According to a 2006 analysis of military records from the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study, between 15 and 19 percent of Vietnam veterans experienced PTSD at some point after the war. Yet PTSD is not a new phenomenon. It goes back to Biblical times as literature, drama, and poetry about the experiences of war illustrate.
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