Sunday, October 30, 2011

The Nameless and Faceless

Never judge a book by its cover.  The age old adage rings true in many cases, including my own.    You would never be able to know from looking at me and watching my actions, but I have struggled with depression, uncontrollable anger, sleeplessness, and many other symptoms that an increasing number of Americans are facing every year.  These are some of the typical symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and this disorder has become a hot topic issue as of late with the likes of the Surgeon General, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and other high caliber medical institution.  As our sailors, soldiers, and airmen are returning from the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, many are not receiving the attention they require.  As the demographics of veterans fighting today’s wars change with time, so too does the care needed and provided.  While some return home with visible battle scars such as missing limbs or abrasions, the majority are returning with deeper scars than an enemy could possibly imagine.  They are the nameless and faceless who need the attention of civilians to try and understand a hint of what they are dealing with.  This is their story and mine…