Thursday, September 24, 2009

Invisible Wounds, the Current Signature War Wound

Clearly, the real signature wounds of the current wars are the invisible wounds: traumatic brain injuries [TBI]; PTSD; and major depression.

"A study conducted by RAND Health states that traumatic brain injuries are the most common injuries of the wars. It found that about 200 veterans had spinal cord injuries and 1,200 had amputations, but 325,000 had traumatic brain injuries and 300,000 had PTSD."

Full Article at: Soldiers seek a new beginning
By SABINA DANA PLASSE
Express Staff Writer

Raymond Pablo Andalio, from San Diego, Calif., also known as “Doc,” suffers from traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. He attended the Sun Valley Adaptive Sports camp at Pettit Lake last month.

Imagine not being able to form a sentence, routinely forgetting the day of the week or losing your balance every other step. Many soldiers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, conditions that can easily disrupt everyday life. They look healthy because they do not have visible injuries, but their wounds are tucked away inside their brains.

"Since the brain is so complicated, it can have thousands of manifestations from an explosion," said Tom Iselin, executive director of Sun Valley Adaptive Sports, an organization that seeks to improve the lives of people with disabilities through sports and recreation. "The injury the size of a pin can cause you not to see, hear or effect your motor skills."

Since 2007, about 1.65 million U.S. troops have been deployed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A study conducted by RAND Health states that traumatic brain injuries are the most common injuries of the wars. It found that about 200 veterans had spinal cord injuries and 1,200 had amputations, but 325,000 had traumatic brain injuries and 300,000 had PTSD.

"The general public believes the signature wounds of war are a guy in a wheelchair or a guy with an amputated leg or arm," Iselin said. "But the real signature wounds of war are the invisible wounds—traumatic brain injuries, PTSD and major depression. These figures are shocking to the general public because few people realize how widespread these injures are."