We have men and women all over the country who are in or were in the armed forces. The experiences they had, good and bad, can't be taken from them. Some left to serve with their friends and then returned alone because their friends were killed; some suffered extreme injury due to the elements, enemy fire, or one wrong step onto an IED, some saw heinous acts. We see soldiers with scars, and there are soldiers who have scars that we can't see, scars that develop quickly or slowly over time. These scars are called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Silouan Green, a US Marine veteran, suffered from PTSD. He dreamt of flying jets for the US military and eventually realized his dream. But when a routine flight had a malfunction and claimed the life of his flight instructor and put Green into the hospital with a broken back, nerve damage, and other medical complications, Green's life took a downward turn, and PTSD set in.
Green was able to turn his life around, but it wasn't without the help of others to do it. He became an advocate who travelled the world to help veterans cope with and overcome PTSD, and to spread awareness about PTSD to those of us who aren't veterans.
Green came to Valparaiso, Indiana on Veteran's Day to speak at Ivy Tech Community College on the invitation of Porter-Starke Services, Inc., PACT, and Pines Village Retirement Communities. He gave a great presentation on what causes PTSD, what it does to a person, who can develop PTSD, and how we can help someone who has it.
Before the presentation began, Jillian Schiralli, actor and singer from New York and, sang our National Anthem, moving the patrons in the room. She also ended the event with a popular ballad from the Beatles, "Let it Be", an appropriate song that described someone finding peace after suffering. Rocco Schiralli, Jillian's father and President and CEO of Porter-Starke Services took to the podium to welcome everyone to the free community event.
"There are multiple organizations here that provide information on veteran services and you can speak to them after the presentation if you or someone you know needs help," Schiralli said. "People are glad to be here and this is going to be a great event to help us find out more about PTSD and how we can help those who suffer from it. We want to serve those who serve us and our country."
"If people knew what war was like they would do a better job of taking care of veterans," Green said during his presentation. "PTSD is best described as a shell that has cracked to the point that it falls to pieces, leaving the person feeling vulnerable and unsafe. Everyone has had something happen to them that has left a little crack in their shell."
PTSD is a mental health condition that develops after someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. It happens to more than just soldiers away at war. Women who are raped, children who get molested, police officers, first responders, someone who witnesses the death of a loved one... they can all develop PTSD. Not every person who has a terrifying experience will get PTSD. They might have difficulty coping at first and then get back to their old selves after getting the help that they need, but if the symptoms get worse and last for months, interfering with the everyday functionality of a person's life, then it's PTSD.
But it's very possible for someone, in this case a veteran, get help.
"You can help a vet live," Green said. "If a vet doesn't get to the VA it's not the VA's fault. We put too much blame on the VA sometimes. We need to help them; the families and friends of these men and women who served. It's our job to get them to the VA."
If you or someone you know is suffering from PTSD, you can get the help that is needed.
Call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
Contact the Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255, press 1 (text 838255)
Call 911
Visit a therapist
Find your local VA. All VA Medical Centers have PTSD care as do many VA Clinics. Click here to find a PTSD program near you.
And if you want to help someone with PTSD, Green said share your passion with them.
"Offer a free class to them. Free yoga for veterans, free guitar lessons for veterans, free car care lessons for veterans," Green said. "You may only reach one person, but you might have saved that person's life."