PTSD from the Iraq War
Blanca Carolina Bernasconi
BEFORE YOU READ:
1. PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a mental health condition. If you experience or witness an extremely stressful or terrifying event, you might have PTSD.
2. What do you know about the Iraq war? What does it mean to be deployed?
3. When you use a as a prefix, it means the ab-sence of. Apnea means the absence of breathing. Other examples: atheist, arrythmia, amorphous.
Deployed to Iraq Six Times
My friend Joe has a disability. He has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He got PTSD from his time in the military.
Joe joined the army when he was 18 years old. He was a truck driver. He transported soldiers, weapons, food, and other supplies.
He was deployed to Iraq six times from 2002 to 2007. He would go to Iraq for six months and then come home for six months. He started having trouble sleeping.
Now a Retired, Disabled Veteran
After his last deployment, he was diagnosed with PTSD. He also has sleep apnea and back problems. He retired from the Army as a disabled veteran.
Joe is married to my friend Crystal. They have three children and two grandkids. He has a beautiful family. Joe continues to be a good friend. I am happy because even though Joe suffers from PTSD, he is surrounded by loving people.
AFTER YOU READ:
1. Write a one-sentence summary of this article.
2. Learn more about prefixes (e.g., post and a). Learning prefixes helps you learn vocabulary!
Blanca Carolina Bernasconi was a student at Ysleta Community Learning Center in El Paso, Texas.