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Veterans and Post Traumatic Stress — dealing with the hidden scars of war.
For many Iraq and Gulf War veterans, the transition from
battlefield to home front is difficult. Bouts of fierce anger,
depression and anxiety that previous generations of soldiers
described as "shell shock" or "combat/battle fatigue" now earn a
clinical diagnosis: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. But the
relatively new medical label doesn't guarantee soldiers will get
the care they need. NOW looks at how America's newest crop of
returning soldiers is coping with the emotional scars of war and
some new and innovative treatments for them.
In the show, we spend time with Iraq War veteran Michael Zacchea, a
Marine Lt. Colonel who trained Iraqi troops and led them in the
battle of Fallujah. Haunted by the violence he saw there, Zacchea
and other soldiers diagnosed with PTSD now face what could be a
lifelong struggle to leave the horrors of war behind and reclaim
their once-peaceful lives.
NOW online will reveal facts and figures about vets and PTSD and
offer resources for coping. Also, an interview with veterans
advocate Paul Rieckhoff about the denial of veteran benefits and a
deeper look at this week's children's health care bill debate.