MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- Special guests share testimonies at the PTSD workshop Marine Corps Base Hawaii service members, reverends, clergymen and advocates attended the Post-traumatic stress disorder Workshop held in the Chaplain Joseph W. Estabrook Chapel, Aug. 28, 2013.
The all-day event discussed the dangers of PTSD, the effects it can have on someone struggling with the condition and how it can be treated.
PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder, and can occur after a person goes through an extreme emotional trauma involving the threat of injury or death.
“We call PTSD the invisible wound of war,” said Rev. Steve Jensen, a retired chaplain. “Some people will look at an individual struggling with PTSD and say, ‘Well there’s nothing wrong with them.’ Little do they know, the damage isn’t on the outside, but it’s on the inside.”
One of the key individuals who helped set up the workshop was Daniel K. Akaka, a retired U.S. senator. Akaka is a supporter of helping those suffering from PTSD and wants to share the importance of the condition with anyone willing to listen.
“We’re here to help those who went to war, came back home and are struggling to continue their lives,” said Akaka, who once struggled with PSTD. “A lot of veterans suffering from PTSD try to silently handle their problems themselves. It’s up to us to do our part to help them.”
Akaka shared his personal testimony of his struggle with the condition.
“I came home from war and I acted differently. I was the eighth of eight children and felt sorry for my mother,” he explained. “I just didn’t care to talk to her at all, and it’s because I was unaware I was suffering from PTSD.”
The condition lasts anywhere from a month to multiple years and can cause individuals to be irritable and sleep deprived. Many victims try to keep themselves preoccupied to prevent intrusive thoughts from resurfacing, according to Dr. Jim Spira, the director of the National Center for PTSD.
“Combat is one of, if not the most, toughest experiences to handle in one’s life,” Spira said. “The trauma cuts deep into the brain of a victim suffering from PTSD, and it takes some time for them to process normal experiences again after building up extreme situations in their minds similar to the extreme circumstances they witnessed in combat.”
Special guests attended the workshop to speak to the audience. Amongst them was Pfc. Josh Kelly, a wounded warrior.
Kelly shared his testimony about the injuries he accrued during deployment and his journey coping with PTSD.
“An IED went off and I got rocked pretty hard, you know. The blast broke my right foot in ten places, and I’m still recovering from it,” Kelly explained. “I was in a wheelchair for ten months before I took my first step again. Taking that step it kind of set the standard for the way my life is now where every step I take is painful in some way.”
After Kelly was released, he returned to his old unit, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and looked forward to hanging out with his old friends again. However, he noticed he didn’t enjoy associating with them after that first night back and just wanted to stay in his barracks room alone.
“There’s a lot of guys that are looking for help, but they’re shelled up,” Kelly said. “They’re looking for help basically inside [themselves] and they think they know what they’re doing.”
Kelly had problems sleeping at night, often waking up disoriented from reoccurring nightmares relating to his combat deployment.
“I’d fall asleep for about an hour and a half before waking up, and it’d take me anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to fall asleep again,” Kelly said. “This went on with this routine for two years, and it was just exhausting.”
After Kelly met his wife, he explained to her the anxiety and nightmares he was having. She told him he really needed to get some help and to be open about his problems.
“Even though I wasn’t really looking, telling her my story was very helpful,” Kelly explained. “I still have these dreams every night. It’s something I’m working through, I personally believe it’s something that’s not going to leave me and is going to be a part of me for the rest of my life. I have to find ways to work with it and cope with it, and I’m working on that.”
If you feel like you’re struggling with PTSD or think you may be showing symptoms, there are ways to receive help. The chapel is open 24/7 and the duty chaplain can be reached at 927-6583. Also, you can contact the Marine Corps’ national DSTRESS Line at 1-877-476-7734.