Friday, July 11, 2008

PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

People with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. They may experience sleep problems, feel detached or numb, or be easily startled.
nimh

On the 8th of July 2008, US vet from Iraq war, Joseph Dwyer (31), died of overdose on a computer cleaner aerosol. As all the newspapers note, Dwyer became famous when a picture of him was taken when he was carrying a child into safety in the first weeks of Iraq war.

His death "has highlighted the neglect many American veterans believe they face once they return home. (...) It emerged that Mr Dwyer's post-war civilian life was also no different to that of many fellow veterans. For years, he struggled against post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), drug abuse, unemployment and marital breakdown. (...) Police in several states had been dealing with Mr Dwyer for several years as he suffered from violent delusions that he was being hunted by Iraqi soldiers." More here and here.


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