Service men and women affected by PTSD come from all walks of life. Their friends, families, and communities also feel the effects – especially in cases where the service member or veteran chooses to take his or life. The following stories offer a glimpse at the lives of those living with PTSD and provide first-hand accounts of families living in the aftermath of losing their loved one.
“Local veteran’s suicide reflects troubling trend” – Hal Bernton, The Seattle Times
“Orrin Gorma McClellan is among the war casualties that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has just begun to track– young men and women who served in the post-9/11 military, and killed themselves after struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and other war wounds.”
Originally published July 5, 2010.
“Final messages reveal Maryville Marine’s battle with PTSD” – WBIR TV
“… Jones was diagnosed with chronic PTSD and anxiety disorders. They say the night of his death he was having a flashback tied to his military service. TJ had served five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. But they didn’t realize how serious it had become.”
Originally aired/published June 19th, 2013.
“Minn. Doctors: PTSD Also Affects Children of Soliders” – Josh Rosethal, KSTP TV
Dr. Deirdre Golden and child psychologist Carmen Gutterman note the impact of PTSD on the children of those suffering from active symptoms.
Originally published June 21, 2013.
“PTSD: a thorny issue as veterans look for work” – Mark Emmons, San Jose Mercury News & The Denver Post
“Mike Liguori returned home after two tours of duty in Iraq with the Marines and slipped into a depression that, at its depths, left him contemplating suicide. But the San Carlos native emerged from the darkness of post-traumatic stress disorder and today feels his life is in a great place.”
Originally published June 24, 2013.
“Exclusive: an Iraq veteran’s descent from PTSD to suicide” – James Foley, The Raw Story
“When we see of images of returning soldiers, more often than not, we see their homecoming… We do not see what happens when the parties are over, when the vets have to re-invent their former lives and become husbands and fathers, mothers and wives again. Fellow soldiers said Spencer Kohlheim wanted to out-process just as fast as they did. None of them admitted to picking up on any post-trauma issues he might have been having.”
Originally published September 8, 2010.
“Veterans discuss PTSD signs” – Laura Peters, Staunton News Leader
“He says he doesn’t remember much of his life after he returned home. He took almost all his money to purchase a motorcycle and hit the road. The rest of his cash, he drank it away.”
Originally published June 26, 2013.