Special Assignment: Soldiers battling PTSD

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) --"I've been in the military since I was 19. I went from high school to basic training. The Army was my home," says an unidentified former soldier.

It's a similar story for so many soldiers.

"When I was told to go, I went. And I did it to the best of my ability," he says.

"It was actually brought to my attention because when I came back I was normal, in my own case, because everyone around me was doing the same thing," says Juan Guzman. He is also a former soldier who spent seven years in the military, most recently at Fort Knox.

"It's hard. Everyone has learned to live without you. So it's hard to get yourself back into that group," says Guzman.

He says he tried, but something just wasn't right. He was angry and wasn't his outgoing self. His daughter, five years old at the time, brought it to his attention.

"She said I wasn't the same anymore, so that kinda made me realize that something was wrong," says Guzman.

He is not alone: "I became paranoid that everyone was either watching me, trying to hurt me, was a threat to me. When I'd go in a place to eat, or Walmart to buy groceries, I was doing an automatic threat analysis on everyone in there on who'd I have to take out to get out of there," says the unidentified soldier.

They're struggling with a mental health disorder called Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD).

"PTSD -- the first thing that goes is your sleep. So, you don't sleep. You become grouchy and angry because you're not sleeping," the soldier says.

It's a disorder that can happen to anyone, but more and more we're hearing about soldiers battling this new war.

"It is a traumatic event that has triggered this reaction in their body, and they're not recovering from it. It's not going away naturally," says Dr. Laura Johnson, a Fort Knox psychologist.

She says when soldiers return home from combat operations, they are screened on different criteria. This includes whether they are sleeping, eating, having nightmares, or withdrawing. But sometimes it can take awhile for them to realize that something isn't right.

"It's not really full-blown PTSD for about 6 months. Because otherwise it's just acute stress, and acute stress disorder and they're reacting through that," says Johnson.

Even then, some still don't talk about it. "If they're not telling us what's going on, then we have no way of knowing," says Johnson.

To some soldiers, there's still a stigma surrounding PTSD that keeps them from getting help. Doctors say talking about it is crucial. "I wanted to, but in my head it's a career-ender...getting help," says Guzman.

Instead, Guzman avoided crowds, turned to alcohol, and pushed his family away. Then, he went too far. "I ended up overdosing and I put myself in a coma for a month. I died three times that month. I had to learn how to walk and talk again. That's when I eventually got help," says Guzman.

"We see the worst of humanity. The worst thing that human beings can do to each other, we witness," says the unidentified Fort Knox soldier.

The unidentified soldier we spoke to is still struggling with PTSD. He was placed on medication, but artwork is another way he's getting help. "I draw a lot. That's part of my therapy that I've prescribed myself," he says.

He, like dozens of other soldiers, have turned to Christy Faulkner. She's the woman behind the non-profit in Radcliff, Kentucky called Operation Resilient Warrior. She encourages alternative treatments, rather than medication. "There's equestrian programs where they go and get to ride and care for horses, which helps quite a bit. Music therapy, art therapy," says Faulkner.

She says this therapy is helping the soldiers. Like them, Faulkner has also experienced PTSD, but on the other side -- as a wife.

"It changed the dynamic of our family from what it was before to what I call the 'new normal' and understanding why it's that way and adapting," says Christy Faulkner.

Dr. Johnson says the military is taking PTSD seriously and raising awareness about it. She says Fort Knox offers soldiers different types of therapy and programs, including a warrior wellness group. They also encourage soldiers to get help at any time, including late at night at the emergency room on post.

She says as the war wears on, more people are coming forward for help, wrestling with symptoms -- although it isn't always PTSD.

"It has become more acceptable to seek help. It's become almost more unacceptable not to seek help if you're suffering from something," says Johnson.

It's the soldiers who aren't getting help that are a concern. Suicides for soldiers nationwide are up. On average, 22 soldiers a day are committing suicide. That's something those close to the health disorder are hoping to help prevent. "Because 22 a day is too many. One a day is too many. It is heartbreaking," says Faulkner.

"It's a sign of weakness if you stay in the fight...if you stay in that mental fight. I think the stronger person is the one who can raise their hand and say 'I need help'," says Guzman.

"It does not matter what anyone else thinks. You take care of yourself, and if you have a family, you take care of yourself so you can take care of your family," says the unidentified soldier.

There are a variety of ways to get help if you suffer from PTSD.

To learn more about Operation Resilient Warrior, click here.

To learn more about the Warrior Transition Battalion, click here.

To learn more about PTSD Programs in Kentucky, click here.