Welcome to PTSD Combat-PTSD Combat : Winning the War Within

If you're a veteran or current service member, first let me start off by saying THANK YOU for your service to our country.

Welcome Home!

”After wars’ end, soldiers once again become civilians and return to their families to try to pick up where they left off. It is this process of readjustment that has more often than not been ignored by society.” – Major Robert H. Stretch, Ph.D in Textbook of Military Medicine: Vol. 6 Combat Stress

It is in times of war that the plight of the warrior is most in focus, when a typically disinterested public once again begins to gaze upon the interests of those who wear the uniform. It’s also a time to reconfirm our responsibility as a nation to the care and support of those who served their country.

In addition to welcoming our military members and families to this new blog dealing with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], I’d also like to extend a warm welcome to researchers, reporters, and others interested in joining with me to shine a light on this issue. It is, when looking at the depth and gravity of the problem, vastly overlooked by most media outlets.

But it is not going away.

PTSD Combat aims to be a clearinghouse for information on combat-related PTSD. Please join the debate. Please demand more from our media. Please contact your elected representatives and ask them to pay more attention to this and other veterans' issues.

And finally, please let me know what information or resources you're looking for. I hope PTSD Combat can help educate and inform you on an issue that affects us all: service member, military family, community, and nation.

Let's get started...

Comments are moderated. Unproductive comments will not be posted.

Online therapy for military/vets suffering from PTSD

http://www.etherapistsonline.com

By electronic, at 2/11/2006 08:51:00 PM
http://vietnamraceriot.blogspot.com/

I am a Vietnam Vet who started the blog above when trying to deal with (and find others) who had gone through what I did 38 years before. It was 911 that ignited the memories as well as started a public discussion on what ptsd is and where to get help. I lived with it for all those years. That was bad enough but dealing with the administrative side of the VA was almost worst.

For your site I would recomend good solid reference sites to steer vets to such as

http://www.vawatchdog.org/
http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/

also advise any vets who suspect ptsd to seek out and go to the nearest Vet Center and get counciling. I say this as they saved my life. I was at the end of my rope (total dispare) and was in danger of becoming another su statistic.

As a vet I would like to thankyou for your concerns and your site.

Douglas MacKay

By Moderator, at 2/12/2006 08:38:00 PM
Thanks, electronic...will check it out!

By ilona, at 2/12/2006 09:03:00 PM
Moderator,

Thank you for this info, and for the links especially. Will add them to the Resources Bar, ASAP. I also want to thank you for your advice to vets returning home in trouble; you've made me realize it might be a good idea to place your instructions (go to a VA center immediately and get counseling) in a prominent place near the top. I'll make that change as soon as I can, too.

I'll have to come over and take a look at your blog, too. I'm sure you've been a big help to others who've been in need of a place to explore and share their worries and anger, etc. I hope it's been helpful for you, too, in your process.

Thank you...

By ilona, at 2/12/2006 09:07:00 PM
Ilona, I would be one in (re) search of support for vets with pstd. As an anti-war person (born and raised in the Netherlands), having grown up hearing stories and experiences from Holland's occupation during WW2, I found myself deeply saddened by the war in Iraq. Regardless of my stances, I felt that, if anything, the American people have no clue or appreciation for the veteran's experiences of war. Politics aside, I felt compelled to provide some form of support for veterans to facilitate long term healing and also providing care and support for their families. Now, I am in the research stage and I have ordered your book today. I have no doubt that your research and insights will help me in setting up a template of sorts that can support my desire to help in the healing process. I sensed a need and I hope that I can be of service that way. It breaks my heart to think that a lot of young guys (I'm in my early 40s)come back and do not receive the mental care that they need. I will refer to your blog as well since you have great resources and thank you for being so thorough and tenacious. You can be for or against something, but ultimately, you still need to take care of 'your own'.
sincerely,
Ingrid Yaple
Austin, Texas

By Ingrid, at 11/07/2007 12:49:00 PM