PTSD Questions

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been receiving emails from people asking about PTSD and if I know any of my Marines who are willing to talk about it. First thing is, I’m not going to give out medical information on any of my patients. Not that most of the ones that I know mind talking about it, it’s a matter of me keeping my job and out of jail. I can let them know that someone is interested and pass on the information though and I don't mind you asking

Most of the PTSD cases that we run into in the airwing side are an entirely different ball game then the stories you would find if you were to ask the average ground pounder. Our usual supects for airwing mental issues come from separation anxiety, problems back home, adjustment disorders and issues that come from sending people to a war zone who should have never made it past MEPS.

My advise to all of these people is to go to the source, I have some fine fellow milbloggers in my sidebar who have been though the ringer and have blogged about it. Blown by IED’s? Check out Liz (as she put it "got my happy ass blown up" on Dec 4th 2004, scroll down), Rebel Coyote (one of the first milbloggers blown up), Chuck (who's has been getting chopped up on a weekly basis), Solder’s Life (was incountry for 3 months) and the latest one JR Salzman (who was just hit a couple of weeks ago). If their stories don't bring what we're doing home, then you're heart is made of stone. Want to see the baggage of PTSD can do? This is Your War put's that into prospective and Combat Doc has also blogged about it (H/T Madtom even though I read him enough to know). There are probably more people on my side bar who have blogged about it but if you haven't noticed by the size of my blog roll , it would be a full time job keeping daily tabs on everyone.

These guys are the experts and have been in the "shit", most of my time was spent putting band aids on boo boos, handing out meds and filing paperwork, plus keeping everyone around me happy. The only time I saw blood flying and people screaming around me was done flying CASEVAC or at the main hospital working on total strangers, I can honestly say, not a single one of my guys died under my watch. It makes a big difference on your mental out look if you know your patients or not.