Battlescars, click link to read commentary by Ilona Meagher
by Robert Roerich, M.D.
America is at war and the warrior has come home. An unseen enemy has left an indelible mark in the psyche of our returning military, as one in three, probably more, come home with post traumatic stress. A veteran sits in awkward silence in a community support group in an American Legion hall in the village of Sebring, Ohio. It is quiet yet the drums of war beat on within his mind. He barely hears people talking around him introducing themselves to others. His eyes are glass like with the thousand yard stare of eyes that do not see those around him. His pulse is racing, palms sweaty, and a sinking feeling is in his chest. “Why am I here?” he asks himself, “There’s nothing wrong with me.” His wife is at his side, a painful look in her face, worried that he might get angry and leave. It took so much persuasion to even get him to come here tonight.
Let’s call him John. He sits with his back to the wall and watches the front door anxiously. He doesn’t like to be around crowds even though there are only six people in the room. The hall makes him nervous since a room without windows reminds him of a bunker in Iraq. A fire cracker goes off outside from kids playing in the street. He hits the floor, rolling under a table. He’s not the only one; two Gulf War veterans and one Vietnam veteran do the same. The wives in the room look at each other each having seen this many times before. Some are silent witnesses to something wrong but they don’t know what. What they know all too well is that their husband has come back from war a different man.
John gets off the floor along with the others and lights up a cigarette, his hands shaking as he says, “Well, I guess I’m not the only crazy one here.” A slight smile appears on the face of a Vietnam veteran; “No buddy you’re not alone, names Jake”, as he extends his hand in friendship. John’s wife speaks up to fill the awkward moment, “We’ve been having problems at home and I’m just glad we’re here.” Other wives join in saying that their loved one has changed. America hasn’t changed; the warrior has changed.
Family members choose their words carefully, knowing that the slightest comment can cause an outburst of anger from their loved one. Darla Hough, co-founder of the support group called Veteran Freedom Fighters of America (VFFA) speaks up, “We were relieved when my husband was given a diagnosis, called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. At last we knew what it was and he started seeing a therapist.” The VA set up appointments with a psychiatrist every three months, and an anti-depressant was prescribed. John speaks up, “I see it as a waste of time. First of all, I’m not taking any medication that messes with your mind, and I’m not driving two hours to Brecksville, Ohio for a 15 minute appointment.” Others nod their heads in agreement.
Darla has been talking with Ilona Meagher, editor of an online resource called the EPluribus PTSD Timeline, which documents the unseen costs of war in suicides and homicides of soldiers on the home front. I comment on the effect stress has on people.
“If a car is running low on oil you check the level and add more. Anti-depressants cause an increase in the good chemicals in the brain, the neurotransmitters, which help neurons relay electrical impulses. They work as well as talk therapy which also increases these levels in the brain. PTSD affects all the body with increased stress which can lead to heart problems. If a person doesn’t get help within two years of the trauma, parts of the brain shrink and this may be irreversible. It’s important to get help as soon as possible.”
“We all know what happened at Fort Bragg some years back with reports of homicides and suicide. I’m just glad that you are here for support. You’ve taken that first step, the most difficult part of this process. No one will judge you here. Welcome to the group.”
Many of our returning veterans will come home and suffer from the effects of PTSD. Mandatory mental health screening for our military at the first month on return and every few months after that is essential. The American media is reporting more each day on the unseen wounds of war as the toll from PTSD mounts. July is a particularly dangerous time for those who suffer from depression, statistically being the peak of suicide season which runs April to July, with a secondary peak in the fall. A red flag for any person suffering from depression or PTSD is when they are no longer able to function. They may not be aware of this, but family members are. A person who becomes a danger to self or others needs emergency assistance.
Hometowns across this country must take action now in forming community support groups for our veterans and their families. The VA has been at the forefront of treatment for PTSD but is understaffed and under funded. America may not look like a country at war as our citizens have not been asked to sacrifice for the war effort as our parents did in World War II. Most people can tune out the war and not watch the news if they choose to. Yet the war lives on in those who suffer from PTSD, like a smoke alarm sounding when there is no longer any smoke. It is a personal hell inside the minds of our veterans who deserve to be acknowledged for their silent suffering and offered support. Many marriages where a spouse has PTSD will end in divorce. It affects the lives of family members, our children, and the community at large. No one is immune to the cost to our society in terms of lost work hours and personal tragedy often ending in suicide or homicide.
Veteran Freedom Fighters of America (VFFA) was founded by a psychiatrist and a veteran’s wife and receives the support of the American Legion. We owe veterans for our way of life in this great country. We are obligated to support all who so bravely defended our freedoms with their lives in hope that they too may find peace of mind, at home, at last. They fought for us; it is time we as Americans fight for them.
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