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For those who are deployed to a war zone, the traumatic experiences can haunt them long after they've returned home. One Colorado group is trying to help veterans and others cope with those feelings.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 12 to 20% of Iraq war veterans suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. That's compared to 6 to 11% in Afghanistan, and approximately 30% in Vietnam.
Trainers from "One Freedom" say, they take a different approach to dealing with trauma. While most of the people they've worked with are veterans of wars, especially Iraq and Afghanistan, others have been to war zones as civilians.
As a Navy veteran of the Persian Gulf, Kenneth McDonald didn't see the worst of war. "Realistically I saw a lot of blue water," he said.
But then he went to Iraq as a civilian contractor, delivering mail to troops. "I went there for the money, but I stayed there for the troops," he said.
In one year, his truck was hit with three IEDs, and caught in 27 fire fights. Kenneth saw five friends die. The trauma followed him home.
"I am absolutely terrified at fireworks shows," he said. "When there is a thunderstorm, you can usually find me in the center of the house, in the bathtub."
He says he found it hard to get help, because his trauma was not the result of military service.
"What we try to do is help people understand that stress and trauma are completely natural experiences that happen to all of us," said Stephen Robinson, a trainer with "One Freedom", a Colorado-based non-profit that deals with war trauma. He teaches about the physical responses to stressful memories.
"Any experience that puts your life at risk, your brain is going to encode those memories for future reference," he said.
Robinson focuses on techniques like breathing exercises.
"They don't talk about, 'tell me about your mother.' They give me some tools on why I've thought the way I've thought, how I react, and why I've reacted that way," said McDonald. He knows, it will take time and practice.
"After all-- thunderstorm season is about to start, so I'll have all summer," he said.
The "One Freedom" organization also deals with spouses and children who have been impacted by their loved one's time in a war zone. They have another program coming up April 19th.
