A Soldiers Struggle On and Off The Battlefield
As I sit at a stoplight and glare at the pothole I sometimes have to stop, think, and remind myself that it is just a pothole. There is no IED (Improvised Explosive Device) in the pothole. Other times, when I am in Wal-Mart, and the store is very busy I have to calm myself down, and tell myself there is no one here that wants to hurt me. Sometimes the smell of burning plastic or a certain smell which I can't quite put my finger on makes my heart race and puts me back in combat mode. These are just some of the problems soldiers face when they return from war. It is something called PTSD ( Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). In this paper I will discuss the definition of PTSD, soldiers committing crimes, and suicides after deployment. Also, what kinds of treatments that are out there for soldiers. Finally, we will discuss the struggles of a soldier returning home.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition resulting from exposure to direct or indirect threat of death, serious injury, or a physical threat. Events that can cause PTSD are called "stressors” and may include natural disasters, accidents or deliberate man-made events/disasters, including war. Symptoms of PTSD can include recurrent thoughts of a traumatic event, reduced involvement in work or outside interests, emotional numbing, hyper-alertness, anxiety and irritability. The disorder can be more severe and longer lasting when the stress is human initiated action (example: war, rape, terrorism) (Veterans Affairs.gov 2010).
Crime is always high next to a active duty post. It is plain math. You have your normal amount of civilians, and you add the total amount of soldiers to that. The volume of military-related crime off-post is beginning to tax civilian law enforcement authorities. Felony El Paso County jail bookings for service members have jumped from 295 in 2005 to 471 so far this year. During that time, the number of Soldiers assigned to the post stayed about the same, around 17,500 (ptsdsupport.net, 2012). Dealing with PTSD is a hard job in itself. Soldiers fight for their country, their squad, and the weak. But who will fight to get the soldier the help he or she needs? If a soldier has a problem with PTSD and is not treated he or she will in fact self-destruct. Here is a soldier who spent six months in Iraq. He came home and started to self-medicate. He drank heavily, with the purpose of passing out to block nightmares (Walton,2008). In the end, this soldier was drunk behind the wheel when he caused a multi-car collision on Highway 494 in South St. Paul and killed a 16-year-old girl. Most veterans don't ask for help until they have to, when they've hit rock bottom, found themselves lost in throes of drug and alcohol abuse, often in legal trouble or heading into homelessness (Walton,2008).
The next big hurdle we must look at is suicide. Why do soldiers commit suicide after they have taken a oath to protect the weak? It is not by choice. Most soldiers feel like it is their fault they have lost a friend during combat. The number of suicides reported by the Army has risen to the highest level since record-keeping began three decades ago (Goode, 2009). In 2007, a National Guard unit was in Iraq performing convoy missions when they lost two of their own in a IED blast. On Dec. 9, 2007, Sergeant Blaylock, heavily intoxicated, lifted a 9-millimeter handgun to his head during an argument with his girlfriend and pulled the trigger. He was 26.“I have failed myself,” he wrote in a note found later in his car. “I have let those around me down.” (Goode, 2009). Over the next year, three more soldiers Sgt. Jeffrey Wilson, First Sgt. Roger Parker, and Specialist Skip Brinkley would take their own lives ( Goode, 2009). This is why we must get a handle on this epidemic. The military has invested a lot of money, time, and resources to fix this problem in its ranks. A variety of symptoms patterns may be apparent in Veterans who are showing or have shown war stress reactions. Some Veterans continue to show a delayed stress reaction which includes disruptive anxiety, guilt, anger, and intrusive memories related to combat. In varying degrees, symptoms experienced by the individual may have become associated with long-term disrupting effects in major areas of life functioning including social, psychological, vocational, and family adjustment treatment (VA, 2010).

The Army has launched a series of programs aimed at breaking down a stigma among soldiers against seeking mental health treatment. It has also initiated two studies — a $50 million, five-year investigation by the National Institute of Mental Health in 2009 and this year, a $17 million research consortium — aimed at understanding why the suicides are happening and how to stop them (Zoroya, 2010). Now that the public knows there is a problem, the question is do we have treatment for these brave men and women who put their life on the line for us? Yes there is. The VA hospital has many programs for returning soldiers. One of the better ones is the Battle Creek VA medical center. This is a place for a soldier that has a severe case of PTSD can get twenty- four hour care. This program is mainly for the mild to severe cases (Battle Creek.gov). The VA also offers other programs for its returning heroes. There are group meetings with other soldiers who are dealing with PTSD/stress. Most of all you are surrounded by your fellow brothers and sisters in arms who you could always say to a complete stranger " hey can I talk to you for a minute?" Finally you could always have a one on one session with a counselor Here is an example of a fellow soldier who has been fighting to get a handle on his PTSD. I will not say his name, but in my mind I have the most respect for him. He too has lost friends over seas and seen the horror of war. He lost his family while dealing with his problem, and has had to get a grip on his alcohol troubles. Through all of this he has faced his problems head on and had refused to give up just like a true warrior. This soldier went to Battle Creek VA medical center for treatment. This soldier is in the process of being discharged from the ARMY due to medical reasons. Additionally listed below are the medications he must take daily. Vitamins W/Minerals-For Vitamins
Quetiapine Fumarate- For Sleep and Mood
Venlafaxine - For Depression
Lithium Carbonate- for Mood and Depression
Prazosin- For nightmares
Vitamin D2- for Vitamins
Quetiapine Fumarate 50mg- For Anxiety
Cholecalciferol- prevent bone loss and bone breaks
Naproxen- For migraines
Vitamin C- For Vitamins
Docusate- For relief
Levothyroxine- For Thyroid
Lamotrigine- anti-seizure medication
Omeprazole- treating acid-induced inflammation and ulcers
Naltrexone- for Addiction to cutting
Fish Oil- For Vitamins
Sutotripmine- For Migraines

This is what his doctor and psychologist have prescribed for him to take on a daily basis. Now is this solider cured because he has been to the treatment centers, or because he has to take a lot of medications? This is the million dollar question and is a prime example of a double edged sword. Do I think there is still hope for my fellow brothers and sisters in arms with PTSD? Yes. But, the problem is getting them to go get help. The problem is knowing when you have a problem before it gets out of control. I think there are plenty of recourses for soldiers with PTSD, but a solider cannot be too proud to go get help. He might think he is showing weakness in front of his fellow soldiers. If that is the problem, the system has failed him. My personal opinion is that every solider needs to have a few one on one sit downs with a therapist, who is a PTSD expert, so they will be able to guide/diagnose soldiers. It is not natural to see what soldiers see and expect them to just brush it off their shoulders like nothing has happened. Soldiers in general have been dealing with PTSD since the begging of time. The crisis is we are just now seeing that there is a problem. The government and the military are trying to fix it; but can it be fixed just by going to see a doctor. Is it solved by talking to fellow warriors who have experienced the same things? Should soldiers just bite their lip and just move on with their life not talking about it, then explode with anger because it has built up with time? The bottom line is every person is different. They deal with it in their own way. We all have scars that are not visible to the naked eye, but we move on with our lives, help our fellow man, our fellow soldier, and our brothers in arms.

References battlecreek.va.gov. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.battlecreek.va.gov

Walton, b. (2008). city pages.com. Retrieved from http://www.citypages.com

Goode, E. (2009). nytimes.com. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

ptsdsupport.net. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ptsdsupport.net

Zoroya, G. (2010). usatoday.com. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com

va.gov. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.va.gov