PTSD - The war within

AlJazeeraEnglish — April 08, 2010 — Out of two million US soldiers who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq, psychiatrists estimate that one in three may, at some point, develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is the story of five American soldiers stricken with PTSD. One is on trial for murder, two committed suicide and two others are still in the army, struggling to get treatment.

Revolving Door of Multiple Tours Linked to PTSD

April 11 2010 It wasn't his first tour in Iraq, but his second and third when Joe Callan began wondering how long his luck would last — how many more months he could swerve around bombs buried in the dirt and duck mortars raining from the skies.

It was only natural, considering the horrors he'd seen: One buddy killed when a mortar engulfed his tent in flames. A fresh-faced Marine sniper dead (also a mortar) on his first day in Iraq. A 9-year-old Iraqi boy, blood trickling from his head, after he was mistakenly shot by U.S. troops.

Three tours in four years and Callan wanted out. Out of Iraq, out of the Marines.

"I became numb," he says. "I just wanted to be home. And that became more intense each time."

When Callan did return to New Mexico, he couldn't sleep. He drank heavily. He had a short fuse. "I knew," he now says, "I was different. But I didn't think it was going to be that bad."

Maj. Jeff Hall's world imploded after his second tour in Iraq. -->-->-->

Why do some suffer PTSD, others don’t?

April 10, 2010 When Sgt. Michael Blair awoke from a drug-induced coma four years ago, doctors gave him a choice.

Blair’s legs had been blasted by a roadside bomb in Iraq. The physicians could amputate both limbs, or they could try to save them through a series of grueling medical procedures. More than 60 surgeries later, the Marine, formerly stationed at Twentynine Palms, still struggles with chronic pain as he continues his care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

With the help of a cane, though, Blair walked amid the cherry blossoms at the White House this week with his wife and 4-year-old daughter. He has piloted his first solo flight, kayaked through the Grand Canyon, used a hand cycle to finish several marathons and dreamed of opening a therapeutic recreation center for wounded troops.

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Researchers are just starting to understand what gives some service members the mental hardiness, or resilience, to fend off post-traumatic stress disorder. Is it innate, a matter of training or a complex interaction between the two?

The answers could help inoculate both combat veterans and civilians against potentially debilitating bouts of trauma-induced stress. -->-->-->

Are Veterans Who Kill in Combat More Likely to Get PTSD?

Yes. (Not a very surprising conclusion, is it?) Recent research shows this to be true for Iraq War veterans: -->-->-->