A Future With PTSD

As he drives down 610 in his big Ford Truck, with all cars and eighteen wheelers around him, he feels at ease for the time being.  The sun is shining in the clear blue sky and as he brings a smirk to his face, he knows very soon he will be entering the Heights area, where his one year old son and father live.  But his mood takes a complete 180, when he sees an old, dirty van pull up right next to him on the busy highway.  Just the sight of the vehicle starts to make him hyperventilate and that’s when his mind is consumed by yet another flashback.  He remembers a similar van in Afghanistan with a man opening the side door and shooting back at him and another soldier with a machine gun.  He then looks to the other soldier next to him, who now has a reconfigured face.  He awakes from his flashback and pops an anxiety pill into his mouth and tries to collect himself, so he doesn’t have a wreck. 

With Specialist Max’s PTSD, he has had to succumb to taking many medications like Paxil, Zantacs, etc., each prescribed for either his insomnia, depression, or anxiety, along with the Ultram (a pain killer) he uses for his knee and back pain.  Still he remains hopeful that his future will not be dampened by the endless amounts of meds he will be taking for, more than likely, the rest of his life.

What keeps Specialist Max positive about his future are two things. One is being able to raise his son again the other also finally having the opportunity to attend college.

“I want to go to college, I want to meet the expectations of my family like my brother did,” Specialist Max said.  “Now that I am on the verge of being medically discharged, hopefully I’ll be starting school this fall semester at UH.  I’m looking forward to getting back to the path that I’ve always wanted to take.” 

Once at the University of Houston, Specialist Max hopes to get a degree in teaching, preferably becoming a history teacher like his father.  Though his mindset is pointed in the right direction, he still worries about his PTSD getting in the way.  Namely his anxiety, which makes it difficult for him to cope with big open spaces and crowds of people, two things that a university consists of.

“I can’t stand being in a room with more than ten people,” he said.  “But that’s where my Paxil (anxiety medication), comes in.”

Paxil, an anti-depression medication that he takes for both depression and anxiety, is more or less helping him with his PTSD.  Along with the countless other meds that he takes, he feels he has become a “walking pharmacy,” as he put it.  Taking over ten pills a day just so he can get through something as simple as going to a class or to a grocery store.  Though the pills are helping him control the flashbacks and night terrors that come with the territory of his PTSD, he knows the meds will never actually cure this disorder.

“According to my doctors, I will be like this for the rest of my life,” he said.  “I was in Afghanistan for fifteen months and the PTSD will be by my side till the end.” 

Specialist Max will more than likely have to see a therapist for the rest of his life as well.  Right now he sees a therapist each week.  Each of his sessions leads to more medications, as does his visits to his regular doctor, who prescribes him pain killers.

The combination of all of the medications will at times cause him to be drowsy.  Turning him off to reality at times, Specialist Max becomes unattached when he is forced to take a lot of meds at the same time.  Basically he has to make a choice when it is time to take his meds for the day.  Whether to go through the day drug free but also run the risk of having an anxiety attack out in public, or succumb to taking his medications and become an emotionless person, who is more like a zombie really.  But according to him, he prefers meds over freaking out any day of the week. 

“Zombie is working out pretty good for me,” he said with a little smile. 

For the years to come he knows things won’t be easy, especially as his son gets older and sees what the war has done to his father.  He has even contemplated what he would say to his son, if someday he thought of joining the army.

“Hell no,” he said.  “I wouldn’t be able to bare that burden.”

Haunted By His Days In Afghanistan

Specialist Max recalls the day when he and his fellow soldiers were caught in the middle of a “tic,” (a firefight with the enemy) near an Afghanistan orphanage.  The situation soon worsened, when the insurgents took the children inside the orphanage hostage.  The insurgents then used the children as “bullet proof vests,” against the soldier’ M-4 and M-24 rifles. 

“The insurgents used these orphans as human shields,” Specialist Max said.  “The cowards had the kids stand in front them and that’s something I can’t forget.” 

With the insurgents cowering behind the children, as they continued to fire their weapons and with the loudness of the firing ammo and constant screams from the orphans, one might assume that it was difficult for Specialist Max to stay focused.  However, it was the complete opposite, because in combat, nothing interfered with his concentration.  He was trained to block out everything and anyone that might prevent his finishing a mission.

“The only place that a soldier will end up if he lets hesitation and emotion cloud his judgment,” Specialist Max said, “Is in the ground.”  

Specialist Max remembers preparing to fire at one of the insurgents who had an orphan standing in front of him.  He can’t recall the look on the child’s face that was blocking his shot of the insurgent but he knew that any child would have been scared.

“I’m sure that kid had tears and terror on his face that day,” Specialist Max said.  “I would have too, if I had been him.”

Right before Specialist Max fired his M-4, one thought came into his mind.

“God please give me strength again,” he said.

The insurgent was killed, along with the child that was caught in the crossfire.

“I’m not proud of the things that I’ve done,” he said.

After that occurrence in the orphanage, which helped bring about his PTSD, Specialist Max still feels his true calling was to join the army.

 “It was worth it,” he said

He explained his decision to join the army was worth it’s while, by telling another story of a young girl who ran to his base to get help.  She and her sister had been forced into prostitution by their father.  When the people of the village found out, the father tried to kill his daughters in order to redeem himself.

“He brought shame upon his family,” Specialist Max said.  “And in their country, death is the punishment for selling yourself.”

When the girl led Specialist Max and the other soldiers to the scene, they found the girl’s sister on the verge of death.  She had been shot several times with an AK-47 rifle.  The soldiers got her back to their base but due to the bullet wounds, she didn’t make it.
“She literally died in my arms,” Specialist Max said.  “That’s when I knew those 15 months were worth it.  I still felt my being over there could help people who couldn’t help themselves.”

PTSD:The Disorder That Follows Him Wherever He Goes

After mentally preparing himself earlier in the car for the large number of people he would expect to encounter while picking up the necessities for his week, he walks into the grocery store.  He calmly begins picking out some fruit, when suddenly he hears a woman shouting at her child a few feet away.  As her voice gets louder his heart starts to beat faster and then without hesitation he throws himself onto the woman and just as he places his hands around her throat, customers in the store pull him off of the terrified woman.  When he awakens from his blackout and realizes what he has done, he apologizes to the woman and explains that he has PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). 

This is what 24 year old Specialist Max experienced after returning home from serving in the army for 15 months in Afghanistan.  His PTSD which is like a “crutch,” has been a mutual burden for 40,000 soldiers that served in both Iraq and in Afghanistan.  Since 2007 there has been a fifty percent increase of soldiers being diagnosed with PTSD, and it has been said that 1 in 8 soldiers are diagnosed with this disorder. http://healthandsurvival.com/2008/05/27/40000-us-soldiers-with-ptsd/.

When Specialist Max was diagnosed with PTSD, he wasn’t surprised at all.  He had all the side effects from insomnia to depression.  But the two side effects that are the worst for him are the flashbacks and night terrors.

This disorder has brought countless flashbacks to this young man’s life and each one taking him back to the horrific and tragic situations he encountered while in Afghanistan.  Namely the witnessing of children being murdered and the memories of experiencing the impact of being in a truck that was hit by a roadside bomb.

Sometimes it will be a loud sound or an individual that triggers the flashback.  He recalled a friend setting off a fake gun behind him.  The loud bang triggered a flashback of a bomb going off, which led to a blackout.  Specialist Max remembers waking up as he was being pulled off his friend by some other people in the bar. 

But not all his flashbacks lead to blackouts that will cause violent behavior.  Some of them only return sadness. 

“My flashbacks tend to bring back a lot of remorse,” Max said.

Even the look in a child’s eyes can conjure up memories of the war for him.

“Whenever I see my little cousin, I will see the same look that a little girl gave me, when I was in Afghanistan,” Max said.  “Who had an AK 47 round in her shoulder.”

Even in his sleep, he is taunted with his troubled memories.  He suffers from night terrors.  Just like a flashback, the night terror will make him think he is still in the war.  One night as he was having an attack, he shot up out of bed and started screaming frantically.

 “I’m hit,” he shouted.

Like countless times before, he had no recollection of the incident.  It wasn’t until the following morning when his significant other, who was lying next to him at the time, told him about it.

These problems are not only affecting his life, but the lives of family and friends to.  His good friend Hector, who is more like a brother, knows too well how much Max has changed for the better and the worse.

“He got to see the world and he gained a lot of good memories, memories he chooses not to block out,” Hector said.

When asked if he could describe Max’s present state, he used only one word. 

“Stressed,” Hector said.  “He is stressed about his past and his present state of mind.”

Feeling at times as though he is talking to a stranger than a close friend really, Hector professed that he wanted the old Max back; the Max he has known since the seventh grade. 

“He liked to make jokes, and pull a lot of pranks on people back in that day,” Hector said.  “He was just a happy guy, he is getting back there but it’s going to take a lot of time.”

The Blind Side: A Film That Shows Love Is Blind

 

It’s an amazing movie that embraces love and the coming together of two people from different backgrounds and races.  This movie shows a young man’s journey from rags to riches, thanks to the help of a woman who only saw him as a young boy who needed her help.  

The movie the Blind Side is a story about a young man named Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) who experienced nothing but heartache since he was a little boy.  Surviving a life with a mother who was a drug addict along with being taken from one foster home to another and avoiding the gangs in his neighborhood, Michael had anything but a steady life.  But thanks to the help of a woman named Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) who takes Michael in one night when she sees him walking alone in the rain, his life takes a complete turn.  From living on the streets, to staying at big house in the suburbs with the Tuohy’s and attending an elite school, Michael finally feels he has a real life.  

After Michael officially becomes a member of the Tuohy’s family by being adopted,  he then tries out for his highschool football team.  When he makes it on the team, the Tuohys, Leigh Anne in particular helps Michael give it his all when he is on the field.  In the end Michael becomes one of the best players and he gets a football scholarship to go to college. 

What is so great about this movie is the fact that it is a true story.  The idea that a woman like Leigh Anne Tuohy who had so much compassion for a boy like Michael Oher, that she made him her son and helped him succeed to his fullest capability.  Leigh Anne gave Michael a second chance at life, and with that chance he was able to become a football player for the Baltimore Ravens.

Though the movie is mainly about overcoming hardships it touches on the subject of stereotyping.  While many woman like Leigh Anne who are considered high society and therefore self absorbed, Leigh Anne disproves that stereotype by adopting Michael.  When Leigh Anne first saw Michael, she didn’t see his race, all she saw was a person who had an empty life and needed guidance.  And Leigh Anne filled his life by not only giving him a home and an education, but also love. 

“Michael just needed to be loved,” Leigh Anne said.  And that is what the Tuohy’s gave him. 

Viewing this movie is definitely time well spent, to say the least.  It is not only heart touching and will make you cry to the point where you think you can’t stop, but it also brings awareness of how we all could help someone in need.

Precious: A Film That is Anything But

“Precious,” a movie based upon the novel Push by Sapphire, brought the harsh reality of a young girl named Precious to audiences everywhere.  About fifteen minutes into the film Director Lee Daniels brings you into this character’s horrid world, by showing Precious’s father raping her.   The scene warns you that the film is not a fairytale but a story of survival.  Survival from poverty, body image, HIV, and abuse.    

  The character Precious, who is played by new comer Gabourey Sidibe is a reminder of what many unfortunate souls go through on a daily basis.  Though not everyone may experience every hardship that Precious deals with in the movie, there is at least one issue that a lot of individuals can relate to.  But abuse is the main hardship that Daniels consistently uses in the film, to get you to feel remorse for Precious.  Abuse not only from her father, who also fathered two of her children, but from her mother who sets out to torture her everyday for the rape that occurred.    

 The abuse is taken to a more drastic level with Precious’s mom, played by Monique.  Monique portrays a mentally unstable woman, who abuses Precious both verbally and physically.  One intense scene in the film, has Precious running down a flight of stairs, while her mother attempts to kill her by hitting her with a television she throws over the ledge.  

There is hope at the end of the tunnel for Precious though.  The conclusion has Precious leaving her mother for good and taking her two children with her.  The end doesn’t really explain what will happen to Precious, but perhaps Daniels wanted people to assume the impossible for the character.  Have their own assumptions as to where life takes Precious from there. 

The movie will bring tears to your eyes  from the pain this character experiences, along with shock and awe from the performances of the talented cast. One of the best performances in the movie is no doubt Monique, who earned an Academy Award for best supporting actress.   Monique’s villain  performance makes you despise her character while at the same time you can’t help but be impressed at how much work  and emotion she put into this role. 

It’s a top-notch movie and Daniels did more than an okay job with directing the film.  In fact, he did a precious job.    

 

Turn The Lights Off and Stop Global Warming

http://www.myearthhour.org/

Want to help save the planet from global warming?  Then join in with the millions of others on March 27th, by simply turning off your lights.  For exactly one hour starting at 8:30 and ending at 9:30, many cities across the globe will turn off their power for the cause known as the Earth Hour.  This special hour will bring awareness to the world about the changing of the climate and also allow many to take part in the effort to help the environment.  And anyone will be able to do so by just the flip of a switch.     

The Earth Hour began in Sydney Australia three years ago and since then it has spread from continent to continent.  With its growing popularity across the globe the WWF, the organization that runs the cause, hopes, ”To stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and build a future where people live in harmony with nature.”   http://www.earthhour.org/About.aspx.  And this year the WWF will have many more supporting cities to help build that future for the world.  The Earth Hour has about five million supporters this time around and the U.S. has a big chunk of those supporters to make this night have a successful blackout.    

U.S. states like California and New York, and the cities of  Houston and Las Vegas are just a few of the supportive parts of America that will take part in the Earth Hour. Like the other 114 countries, the U.S. will be shutting down power to buildings, bridges, and also famous landmarks.  The Empire State Building will be one of the many landmarks along with the Golden Gate Bridge.   http://www.myearthhour.org/news/article/03/22/2010/cities-landmarks-across-california-turn-out-lights-wwf%E2%80%99s-earth-hour-saturday. 

This will be the hour for our world.  The hour that will bring darkness to our usual bright lit cities, while at the same time it will shine light upon the possible answer that can rid our planet of climate change.

The Fairy Godmother Project

http://fairygodmotherproject.com/

Houston, Texas—The Fairy Godmother Project,  is a charitable drive dedicated to donating prom dresses and tuxedos from Feb. 22 to March 25, to underprivileged teens in the Houston area.  The UH college of Liberal Arts has joined forces with city organizations to make the 10 year project a successful one.  The out pouring of help from the public and students has made volunteer Jennifer R. Palton and founder Ellen Chang, happy.

                This is the first year for the college of Liberal Arts to help the Fairy Godmother Project take off on its fairy wings.  This has left Web Writer/Editor Jennifer R. Palton proud, not only for the project, but for the many UH students who have landed a hand. 

                “I’m excited.”  Said Palton.  “The campus has given us a good response.  We’re enjoying a lot of volunteers.” 

                The project has received help from sororities and other University of Houston organizations.  Due to the students’ dedication by passing out flyers, and using other means to advertise for the cause, there have been countless donations.  UH registration and records worker Betty Fields is one of the many who have donated items for the cause.

                “There are a lot of kids and parents who can’t afford a prom dress.”  Said Fields.  She went on to express that with the country’s current economic crisis, the project has “perfect timing.”    

     Organizers of the project, like Palton, also think that volunteering for this project is getting college students more involved with the city. 

                “It’s a way to get UH students to participate in a community service.”  Said Palton with a reassured tone. 

                Though Ellen Chang couldn’t agree more that it’s satisfying to see all the volunteer work that is being put toward the project, her main priority are the teens that receive the donations. 

                “Prom is a big deal.”  Said Chang.  “Every student should be able to have a night where they feel like a lady and gentleman.”  And that’s what Chang has accomplished with the Fairy Godmother Project. 

                On Saturday, March 27, 2010, the annual shopping day for the teens will take place.  It will be held at Define Body, located off of 5781 San Felipe, TX.  The teens will have a selection of dresses, tuxes, and accessories to choose from.  The girls will also get makeup and hair tips, along with shopping helpers in the store.

                Making prom dreams come true is the slogan for the project.  And thanks to people like Ellen Chang, these students will have a prom night they will cherish in their dreams forever.

Another Quake Rocks Chile

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/11/breaking-strong-quake-reported-in-chile/?hpt=T1  Two weeks after an 8.8 earthquake hit Chile, mother nature sends another.   With a 7.2 magnitude, the quake not only disturbed the returning peace of the Chileans who had been involved with the previous quake, but it also disturbed the presidential inauguration of Sebastian Pinera.  Around 10:50 am, towards the end of the inauguration was when the quake occurred and it lasted for less than a minute. 

It happened off  the coast of Chile near Libertador General Bernardo O’Higgins, and still the quake was felt seventy miles away in Santiago where the inauguration was being held.   Nobody was hurt in the building, but for safety precautions, people were evacuated to the street.

For Chileans this is deja vu all over again.  With the death toll reaching over 500  and the continued search for survivors from the previous quake, Chile needs anything but another earth-shaking disaster.  Many are still without power or a home for that matter and President Pinera is going to have his hands full when trying to restore peace and enough help to his people.

Though Chile is receiving help from its leaders and countries like the United States, Chileans are still suffering.  Suffering from the loss of loved ones and property.  Along with the massive devastation that is a constant reminder of their present harsh reality.

Teenage Girls and Rape

The United States has the “Highest rate of rape of any country.”  And girls ranging from 16-19, “Are four times more likely than the general population to be raped.”  http://www.sccadvasa.org/art.  Chelsea King, was part of this age group.  This seventeen year old girl, was raped and murdered in San Diego last month.  A sex predator named John Gardner III, has been charged with her murder.    This story is a reminder to young girls and women out there, that they have and will continue to be the primary target of  sexual predators.

   A young girl, like Chelsea King, is a perfect prey for a sex predator.  Predators look for easy targets, meaning a young girl who is petite and alone.  If the girl is small, then chances are the predator will not have much of a struggle to assault her.  A teenage girl not only has limitations fighting off a predator physically, but she is less likely to carry a concealed weapon to use against him.    

So what can a teenage girl do to prevent this from happening to herself?  The facts have to be looked at first.  Chelsea King was attacked on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010, while jogging  at a neighborhood park.  Though she was not far from her home, she was alone. 

There  have been countless other cases where teenage girls have disappeared, due to their going off on by themselves.  Like Morgan Harrington, another young girl from this high rate group, who was assaulted and killed.  Harrington disappeared back in October when she had been locked out of a concert.    She supposedly had been taken in a nearby parking lot, sources said that, “her purse and cell phone were recovered,” in the lot.  http://www.ionlinephilippines.com/2010/01/morgan-harrington-body-found-morgan-dana-harrington-found-dead/.  Parking lots are another place that girls can be assaulted and Harrington was by herself at the time.

    In this time and era teenage girls need the buddy system.  Whether it is at a park, a nightclub, or at a party, teenage girls need to realize that it’s not safe to go anywhere by themselves.  http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/03/04/2010-03-04_convicted_sex_offender_john_albert_gardner_iii_charged_with_murder_of_teen_chels.html.

  Another thing that teens need to realize is that they live in a world where they could be a possible victim of rape and murder.      Teenage girls can have a naive disposition about life and that is what blocks out the realization of being assaulted in their minds.   In fact, ”Most teens don’t think rape can happen to them.”http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/hhs/vasap/acquaintancerape.pdf .

   Perhaps that was the case with Chelsea King.  ”When you’re  at that age, you feel invincible.”  Said Kelly King.  “ Bad things aren’t going to happen to you.”    http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Suspect-Arrested-in-Case-of-Missing-Teen-Chelsea-King–.html.  But they can and that’s the point that needs to get across to young girls who assume they will be fine anytime they go out.

This is when the parents or another adult need to step in, to discuss with the teenage girl, about issues concerning rape and sexual assault.  The parents should start off the conversation by, “Finding out what they already know.”   http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/hhs/vasap/acquaintancerape.pdf.  From there parents should make sure  to discuss date rape drugs, rape that can possibly happen between a friend or relative, since “62% of rapes happen by someone that the victim knows.” http://www.sccadvasa.org/art .  Parents also need to get the message across to their teenage daughters that they need to stay alert when they go out by themselves and to never let their guard down.

Same Sex Marriage Law Passed

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/18/same.sex.marriage/index.html?iref=allsear

Last week was intense for Washington D.C. both in a good and bad way.  Reason?  The legislature was making the decision to pass the same-sex marriage law in D.C. and there were more than a few outraged opinions floating in the air. Due to the, ”opponents standing against this law,” http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/09/court-refuses-to-stop-dcs-gay-marriage-law/, same-sex couples held their breath, in fear that there could be a block on the law by the Supreme Court.  Also residents and opponents against the law, complained that maybe voters of the Washington area should have been able to vote on this decision, instead of the Supreme Court alone.

Even with the constant backlash and sourpuss expressions from opponents who tried to stop the law, the legislature went ahead and passed the law anyway.

March 3, 2010 was a big date for gay couples in the U.S.   And now a week later since the passing of the law that allows same-sex marriage in the district of Columbia, thousands of gay couples are  legally married.  The following morning after the March 2, 2010 announcement that the law had been passed, every marriage license office in D.C. was a mad house.  Marriage license office workers, “Prepared for what they expected to be a flood of same-sex couples descending on the courthouse Wednesday.” http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2010/03/02/gay-marriage-comes-to-washington-dc.  Though it was chaotic and crowded that day, it was also a joyous experience for the couples.  Some of whom had waited years for this day to finally come.