War Torn
source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/us/08vets.html?_r=2&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=12155...
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- jcwelker
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Most nights when Anthony Klecker, a former marine, finally slept, he found himself back on the battlefields of Iraq. He would awake in a panic, and struggle futilely to return to sleep.
Days were scarcely better. Car alarms shattered his nerves. Flashbacks came unexpectedly, at the whiff of certain cleaning chemicals. Bar fights seemed unavoidable; he nearly attacked a man for not washing his hands in the bathroom.
Desperate for sleep and relief, Mr. Klecker, 30, drank heavily. One morning, his parents found him in the driveway slumped over the wheel of his car, the door wide open, wipers scraping back and forth. Another time, they found him curled in a fetal position in his closet.
Yet only after his drunken driving caused the death of a 16-year-old cheerleader did Mr. Klecker acknowledge the depth of his problem: His eight months at war had profoundly damaged his psyche.
“I was trying to be the tough marine I was trained to be — not to talk about problems, not to cry,” said Mr. Klecker, who has since been diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder. “I imprisoned myself in my own mind.”
Mr. Klecker’s case is part of a growing body of evidence that alcohol abuse is rising among veterans of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, many of them trying to deaden the repercussions of war and disorientation of home. While the numbers remain relatively small, experts say and studies indicate that the problem is particularly prevalent among those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, as it was after Vietnam. Studies indicate that illegal drug use, much less common than heavy drinking in the military, is up slightly, too.
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LetsgetRealpeople
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No one comes home from combat without trauma. The taking of a human life has many unforeseen side effects. The ones who turn to drugs or alcohol we should consider our selves lucky, that we may find out who they are because of there substance abuse. The ones who should scare you are the ones who have hunted the ultimate prey and has developed a liking for it and in many cases a need for it. Do you think that every person on the payroll of companies like BLACKWATER do it for the money alone, I wish that were the case, but unfortunately I know from personal experience that is truly, truly NOT THE CASE!!
All of us need to stay very AWARE!!!!!!!
- 3 years ago
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LetsgetRealpeople
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Saladin
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An unfortunately common experience after coming home from wars, especially one as unstabilizing as Iraq.
Good find.
- 3 years ago
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Saladin
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