Camp Casey's 2nd ID sees surge of post-traumatic stress disorder

[lebkuchen]

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=22774

CAMP CASEY, South Korea — The 2nd Infantry Division is experiencing a surge in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among soldiers who rotated here from assignments in Iraq or Afghanistan, says a senior health official.

Division psychologist Capt. Mary Dorritie said that although most of the combat-related PTSD cases she treats haven’t been severe, they are the bulk of her caseload; she treats from 10 to 15 soldiers suffering from the condition. Last year, in contrast, virtually all PTSD cases treated by 2nd ID mental health workers were related to sexual assault, she said.

PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that occurs when a person is exposed to a traumatic or life threatening event such as war, assault, sexual assault, natural disasters or disasters in general, Dorritie said.

Symptoms include panic attacks, nightmares, insomnia, hyper-vigilance, flashbacks, outbursts of anger and irritability, concentration and attention problems and the inability to relax, she said.

“We are starting to take a number of cases coming in. I’ve no idea how many the chaplains are seeing, but I expect it is a good number. I suspect there are going to be a lot more cases out there,” she said.