Dec 28, 2004 By Patty Yauger 6 min read

During a speech to young graduating military cadets, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman said he understood their ambitions, for he had once stood in their shoes. “It is entirely natural that there should beat in the breast of every one of you a hope and desire that some day you can use the skill you have acquired here,” he said, according to historical accounts. “You don’t know the horrible aspects of war. I’ve been through two wars and I know.

“I’ve seen thousands of men lying on the ground, their dead faces looking up at the skies. I tell you, war is hell!”

The Civil War general who led his northern army into Atlanta, knew from his experiences that the young graduates would not be the same once they stepped onto the battlefield.

For soldiers now returning from war zones more than a century later, as well as the families awaiting their homecoming, the mental, physical and emotional tolls can be traumatic, said Scott Tracy, assistant professor of counseling psychology at Chatham College.

Many returnees suffer from battle fatigue or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of a “horrendous” experience while on active duty, said Tracy, who also has a private practice in Fayette County.

“They have a buddy killed, a bomb goes off next to them or they are ambushed and nearly die,” he said. “What that does in the brain is trigger a panic response later when they are not exposed to that stimulus.

“They could be driving a car on Main Street in Uniontown and another car backfires. That in turn triggers a brain cell that remembers the horrendous event and that elicits a panic response.”

PTSD can also manifest itself in physical ways, causing the war veteran to feel ill, but medical tests are found to be normal, said Tracy. The disorder also can translate into depression and anxiety.

“This is where an individual just can’t seem to get back into the flow of things,” said Tracy. “Most commonly, they do not enjoy things that they previously found pleasurable.

“Someone who liked to golf no longer wants to join his friends at the course or have a hard time enjoying being with their family. This is because they are preoccupied with the experience they had during the battle.”

Tracy said soldiers not in direct combat conditions are also experiencing PSTD because of the guerilla warfare being carried out in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Our military are also under a heightened threat of attack, because it can come at any time or at any place,” he said. “It’s not like World War I and World War II, where you knew where the enemy was located; there was a battle line. Today, the enemy can be anywhere.”

Spouses of soldiers and their children, said Tracy, also are experiencing similar PSTD symptoms as they await their returning loved one.

With “real time” television coverage of the war, those at home are able to watch the bombs exploding or see the aftermath of a targeted military vehicle that has been ambushed.

“A young child sees a bombing in Baghdad and although their parent may not be part of the military in that region, all the child knows is that there is death and dying going on where his or her mommy or daddy is at,” explained Tracy. “We don’t give children enough credit for being aware of what is going on in the world. They do understand the danger that war brings.”

During the holidays when families are traditionally celebrating together, the stress of having a loved one in a war zone deepens the anxiety and depression for some, said Tracy.

“They can’t enjoy the holiday, because they are preoccupied with worry about their loved one,” he said.

The prescription for the war veteran and families suffering PSTD is “talk therapy and getting the individual to accept what is happening.”

Tracy said those with the disorder have the tendency to keep their emotions in check rather than to externalize their feelings, and doing so can lead to anxiety and depression.

“Individuals that have been through war have had an extraordinary experience that when they return home that the day-to-day life of living in Fayette County becomes insignificant,” he said. “It becomes hard for them to focus on returning to their civilian job, watching the kids go to school, helping with homework or going to church because they were halfway around the world in extraordinary circumstances.”

Veterans also may experience a loss in having missed special moments in their family’s lives, such as the baby’s first steps, the first kindergarten play or the first time at bat.

“Life has gone on while they were away,” said Tracy. “Those are experiences that are gone forever.”

While the losses cannot be retrieved, said Tracy, a counselor will attempt to have the patient accept that the moment is gone and not allow it to impede moving ahead.

“You cannot ever get over loss, but you can learn to accept loss,” he said. “If you are in constant misery because you have missed this event, you are prevented from moving forward in your life.”

Those who are wounded in battle and then return home also suffer psychological problems in addition to their physical wounds. In addition to the loss of a limb and perhaps a buddy, said Tracy, the soldier experiences a feeling of unfair loss.

“You have an individual that goes to war to fight for freedom, and their life changes forever,” he said. “They might not be able to return to the job they once had, and that can translate into financial stresses, a change in family relationships or sexual difficulties.”

Tracy said that through talk therapy, the soldier or family member can begin to accept what has taken place and move toward the future.

“The key is to accept what has happened and let it go, and return to watching the kids play ball, going to work and adjusting to day-to-day life again,” he said.

Although the medical field has documented the physical injuries and psychological trauma that has afflicted war veterans since the time of Sherman, those in charge of preparing the soldier for war have yet to properly train them to return home, said Tracy.

“We’ve never done a really good job in mental health and as a government in psychologically preparing soldiers for return,” he said. “You don’t need the counseling on the day that you are discharged. You need it the weeks and months that follow the return.

“It’s very important to deal with what has happened and know that the thoughts and feelings the person is having is normal and most everyone who goes through battle feels that way. You can’t take an individual’s misery away, but you can help them deal with it.”