Book Documents PTSD in Veterans, Families

Veterans and service members of more recent wars feel the impact, too. Approximately 12 percent of Gulf War veterans and 11 to 20 percent of those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are also affected, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans experience PTSD later in life “because they’ve retired and they have had a chance to think about things,” Parent explains. “Maybe they will go to the VA and talk to other veterans. Anything that brings that memory back from years gone past, to today, leaves somebody vulnerable for a PTSD flashback.”

Other times medical problems related to older age can cause veterans to be more vulnerable to the disorder.

“Sometimes a veteran will have PTSD symptoms shortly after the event, and then with medication or, perhaps, self-medication the symptoms may be relieved a little bit,” he says. “But as they get older in life and maybe they aren’t drinking as much, their symptoms can come back and seem even worse.”

Parent believes that because family and friends are experiencing their loved ones in crisis, they should also be involved in treatment. A PTSD sufferer’s loved ones can benefit from individualized help and support from their own friends, he says.

“The family is confused and oftentimes scared because they hear in the middle of the night these horrible dreams, manifesting [themselves] at three in the morning,” Parent says. Despite being in a warm, comfortable bed, veterans may act out because the condition keeps their thoughts back in Afghanistan or Iraq. “One veteran told me he could no longer sleep on the bed anymore; he had to sleep on the floor.”

Most important, Parent finds that veterans suffering from PTSD need to find their sense of purpose again.

“I think that’s one thing that could help the veteran maybe feel better about themselves,” he says. “If you look at veterans, a lot of them go into services where they continue to serve. For example, some of them are teachers or policemen or firefighters.”