Military programs can ease pain of post-war trauma

  • Published
  • By Elaine Wilson
  • Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office
FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (AFPN) --  Army Spc. David Avila sings his favorite song, “La Bamba,” to his son almost every night. It is not just the entertainment value; it is his way of conveying his wartime experiences to his son.

“La Bamba” sounds like boom in English, a sound Specialist Avila heard just about every night in Iraq. It is a sound he said he will never forget.

Specialist Avila deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, in February 2004 and went on his first convoy in April, a day after four American contractors were brutally beaten, killed and found hanging over a bridge. His convoy was bombed constantly, he said, but made it safely to Kuwait. It was just the first of many convoys for him.

“On a convoy, we would sleep under our trucks,” he said. “You stop worrying about snakes and scorpions; you worry about an attack.”

A month later, the attack came. Specialist Avila was a rear gunner on a convoy returning to Fallujah from Baghdad International Airport.

“A car kept coming in and hitting the back of the fuel truck,” he said.

It was a suicide bomber. Moments later, Specialist Avila heard a loud explosion and saw a cloud of smoke.

“My truck went sideways,” he said. “I jumped off and checked on the Soldiers in the … truck. I was standing in front of the car that hit the truck and heard an Iraqi on the ground screaming and pointing at the car.”

Specialist Avila saw a woman’s body hanging out of the back window.

“The car was on fire; I could feel my skin tighten from the heat,” he said.

He dragged the screaming Iraqi away from the car.

“He was trying to tell me something, begging me,” he said. “I looked inside the car and saw a baby engulfed in flames, an innocent child.”

The image never left him. A few months later, Specialist Avila was sent home when an explosion at a Marine camp in Fallujah damaged the nerves in his right ear.

He may have left the battlefield, but Specialist Avila is unable to leave behind the images he saw. He is haunted by his thoughts and vivid nightmares, and startles at any sudden movements.

“I hear that baby screaming in my nightmares,” Specialist Avila said. “It’s too vivid, too clear. I still hear bombs going off at night. It’s been a year; it should be over but it doesn’t go away.”

Specialist Avila is one of the thousands of veterans haunted by war, and one of the 10 to 20 percent who will subsequently develop post-traumatic stress disorder. This is a psychiatric disorder that occurs after a life-threatening event such as personal assault, natural disaster or, as in Specialist Avila’s case, military combat. The effects of the disorder can be debilitating with symptoms ranging from severe nightmares and flashbacks to insomnia and increasing social isolation.

In recent years, the focus for the military has been on the rising occurrences of combat-related disorders as more and more troops return from war, said Dr. Harry Howitt, a clinical psychologist and acting chief of the Community Behavioral Health Service here.

“Combat is uniquely different from other types of PTSD,” Dr. Howitt said. “Unlike most other traumas, combat doesn’t end in a few hours or days; it goes on day after day after day.”

It is common for servicemembers to deal with post-combat depression, insomnia, nightmares and family issues. However, it is the duration and intensity that differentiate normal reactions from PTSD.

“It’s normal to be affected by combat,” Dr. Howitt said. “It’s when the nightmares become so vivid and horrible they wake the Soldier from sleep or the Soldier develops a profound anger that the symptoms become problematic. If these and other symptoms continue for six months, PTSD is a strong possibility.”

Only time and distance from combat can help the healing process begin, but while war wounds can heal with time, the psychological effect will last much longer.

“Our brains don’t have erasers; it’s tape recorded forever,” Dr. Howitt said. “But you can learn to deal with the emotions and gain control of your life again.”

To start the healing process, psychiatrists recommend a variety of methods such as relaxation techniques, sleep strategies and, in some cases, medication. Each military branch has programs, and the Department of Veterans Affairs offers free counseling sessions. Dr. Howitt created a support group here to give Soldiers a safe outlet to talk about their experiences in detail, which can help promote healing, he said.

“Unfortunately, spouses and family members don’t always say the right things,” he said. “In a group setting, these Soldiers can be open about their experiences with others who understand what they’ve been through.”

Along with talking about their experiences, Dr. Howitt encourages servicemembers to resume their normal routines.

“Do fun things even if you don’t feel like it,” he said. “Get down on the floor and play with your kids; play a game of golf. Whatever it is, do something you enjoy.”

Above all, Dr. Howitt said people should seek help early.

“There are positive outcomes for (people) who ask for help,” he said.

For more information on PTSD or VA assistance, people can go to the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Web site at www.ncptsd.va.gov. People can also contact their local military mental health facility.