PTS

I read an article in the paper yesterday that spoke about how soldiers coming back from Iraq are being affected by Post Traumatic Stress. The article speaks on how the symptoms manifest themselves and what to look for. It states how some have the inability to sleep, some react in violence, so have nightmares, some are withdrawn, etc. The writer of the article makes a point to say for some, it is their first time seeing violence and they don't know how to fully handle it. The writer goes a little farther and questions if they military even has a way to prepare people for what they may encounter when they go to war. I speak on this because last night I once again watched the TI Road to Redemption program and they were dealing with a young man who feels the need to run with a gang and carry a weapon. When they spoke to the young man and asked him why he felt the need to carry a weapon he started talking about how many of his friends had been killed and how many times he had been shot at. He also recounted how his best friend was killed right in front of him and how the bullet went in his neck and came out the side of his head. I might add that this young man was only 18. It makes me wonder how many of our young men deal with issues like this. I know some people can't fathom what it is like to see things like this, but you have to ask yourself how one deals with it. The military has people that are trained to speak to soldiers when they see certain things or when someone close to them has died but what about our youth in the streets. What help is there for that 14 year old boy whose friend was gunned down in front of him. I was 17 when I first saw someone shot up and it affected me in an adverse way. I too have been shot at in a few situations coming out of clubs when I was 17 and 18 and it may me feel a certain way. I am older now but I still admit that I am really numb to certain things, but I have not gone through nearly anything compared to what some kids are dealing with. I just wonder what kind of help is out there for these kids. I heard people say that they don't know why some kids are so quick to kill each other and why some carry guns but ask yourself what they have been through or what they have seen. If you don't have someone to speak with about what you have seen that might be your way of dealing with pain. I really think this is something that needs to be in place in schools and in the community. I think a counselor or someone who is really in tune with what is going on needs to be in place. Maybe the reason for a lot of the violence is a lack of understanding and no one to attempt to understand.