Imagine feeling extreme distress when…
…you’re suddenly confronted with a combat scene as you’re watching a show.
…you find yourself in a crowd at a grocery store, an amusement park, or a party with friends and family.
…you hear the sound of firecrackers going off during a holiday celebration.
…you’re in unfamiliar surroundings with a lack of open areas.
Imagine the hypervigilance, the panic, your shallow breath, and beads of sweat forming on your forehead. You turn everywhere, check everything and everyone… until you see an obscure figure in the crowd or on the roof of a building.
Imagine yourself diving to the ground, trying to find cover… only to suddenly realize, you’re not in combat anymore. Nobody is shooting at you. Nobody is threatening your life.
The war is over! But only on the outside.
Inside, you carry deep scars that never seem to heal.
That is what it feels like to be a combat veteran suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). That is the legacy of an increasing number of soldiers.
But they are not the only ones that suffer. Their dependents (military families) are impacted as well.
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