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| Photo credit: US Army, Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti (USAF) |
by Jeremiah
Raymo
Social
Work practicum student
Wichita
State University Center for Community Support and Research
In 2004, I was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, as part of
Operation Iraqi Freedom. I served as a
squad leader in a light-infantry platoon which completed over 300 combat
missions. Unbeknownst to me, 2004 would be the second deadliest year (846 killed
in action [KIA]) for American soldiers in Iraq. Fortunately, I survived and
returned home in 2005. In 2007, I was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army
and returned to civilian life. However, this transition would become equally as
frightening as my experiences in combat.
After my discharge, I began to suffer from
depression, anxiety, and other debilitating symptoms of post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD). I found myself in and out of employment, destroying personal
relationships, and contemplating suicide. In the spring of 2009, a clinical
social worker who had diagnosed me with PTSD suggested I attend an Iraq and
Afghanistan PTSD support group. It was an experience that would change my life
and aid in my path to recovery.
It was a cool Tuesday evening the night of my first
meeting. Anxious and skeptical, I entered the meeting room at the Veterans
Affairs (VA) hospital. There were seven other Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in
attendance. Robert, the facilitator, welcomed me and the meeting began. Within twenty minutes, I felt my anxiety melt
away. This was the first time in two years I felt at peace. The sharing of
stories and experiences were comforting, and I no longer felt isolated. There
was a strong sense of camaraderie in the room which could only be shared by
people with similar struggles and pains. After sharing my story, the group
embraced me with compassion and understanding. I left the support group that
night with a sense of hope that had been absent for so long. I could finally
say to myself, “It’s going to be okay.” I went to every meeting for the next
several months and each time I left with positive feelings and experiences that
I did not receive anywhere else. That support group played an integral part in
instilling a sense of hope in my life and was a key factor in returning me back
to society as a functioning member.
In Kansas, more than 2,000 community support groups,
national organizations and websites provide help for a broad range of specific
issues. Contact information for support groups can be accessed through the
Kansas Health Solutions website at www.kansashealthsolution.org/Shn1.0 or
by calling 800.445.0116 in Kansas.
