Fifteen years ago this month, the Iraq War was launched. But in some ways, its toll is only in its early phases. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) believes about 13-20 per cent of Iraq War vets suffer from PTSD, a signature wound of any war but especially prevalent after the brutal urban fighting in Iraq
Affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the US
The symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can range from insomnia and depression to debilitating panic attacks, flashbacks, irritability and self-harming behaviour. Veteran Justin Carlisle spoke to AFP about his condition. Like many of his buddies, it took Carlisle time to seek help, only going to see a doctor in 2012—four years after leaving the military
Meditation helps veterans
Carlisle was given five types of medication, and worries the VA dishes out pills too readily. “I don’t want to see them keep pushing medications to veterans. That should be, in my mind, the last line of defense,” he said, noting that alternative approaches including meditation have helped him more
Why Iraq War was more brutal
The nature of the Iraq War ensured high levels of PTSD, as it was not uncommon for soldiers to be deployed four or five times. The cumulative stress of repeat missions, combined with urban fighting with an enemy hidden among civilians, has left deep mental scars
If history is a guide, the psychological toll on America’s young veterans will only worsen. Since the end of the Vietnam War, where more than 58,000 Americans were killed, several times that number of veterans have taken their own lives