A veteran's advice for talking to someone with PTSD

Reynaldo Salazar, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, spoke with student journalist Ryan Maejima Gonzalez from Canyon High School in Santa Clarita, California about the first time he experienced PTSD, how he sought help and how a person can help a veteran in their life who may be affected by Post-traumatic stress disorder.

This story was produced by Ryan Maejima Gonzalez at Canyon High School in Santa Clarita, California with support from SRL Connected Educator Ryanne Meschkat.

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[PredestinedtowinforJesus]

People should never downplay someone suffering with PTSD. I hope you receive the love and care you need. People don’t understand

[madmanc_angling]

Thank you brother, for your service and your guidance.. I've done therapy 3 sets of 12 sessions it's now 20 years since deployment and I'm still broken and isolated. I'll go talk to my family I promise

[davidradich]

Respect brother. Disabled gulf war vet here...Keep supporting each other. It is hard but there is help. God bless all.

[ryanpierce]

I almost joined the army in 2001 after failing MEPS. I was within an hour of being sworn in. That could have been me. I would have joined had I passed the physical. That being said, I respect all veterans, especially those that experienced combat. To say I support our military and thank you for your service is cliche and over said, but I mean it when I say it. I'm a trucker and experienced a fatal accident where someone died on impact. In a small way, I can relate, but not to your extent. I pray for veterans and support them in any way I can.

[sashkavaracovov]

As a combat veteran who just had interaction with baton rouge sheriff office, I can say they did an amazing job. I was ready to fight, I was surrounded and one deputies words changed that. He said " buddy we care about you. Let us help"

[ajbaumgart]

I have a older brother who is a combat veteran in the air Force he was one of the first ones in iraq and he has ptsd very bad hes not the same brother i know before he joined the service all i can say is to all our veterans out there Vietnam and iraq and Afghanistan veterans you all are my heros even my brother dont ever give up nor think you have to theres people who love ya and is willing to help i thank all our vetreans out there

[nickhidalgo-beqj]

Wish my mom would care enough to know what I’m going through

[aquaticlives]

I suffer from some level of ptsd, i grew up in a gang infested neighborhood, from a young age i developt a gangster mentality, music played a big role on my outlook on life and the way i carried myself, i've been shot in the stomach, i've been shot at a few times from distances shorter than a couple yards away simply for driving on the wrong street, i've been jumped, beat up, chased through houses with an AX, stepping outside of my house and hearing the screams of families who just got their sons/brothers/fathers killed, seing dead friends laying on the street covered in blood, i tell my family about this "ptsd" i think that i have but to them im just crazy and need to snap out of it since it all happened long ago and im grown, i'm 25 now, i havent been in that environment since i was 18, but it still haunts me... im paranoid everywhere i go, i drive keeping a big gap from the car im driving behind or next to just in case i have to make a getaway, i have to be watching every car that surrounds me or passes by me to see who is driving what theyre doing and making sure they dont pose a threat to me, i cannot sit anywhere with my back facing the door, walking at night time has me on full alert/panic mode, i avoid certain places and i do not exit my vehicle before looking around first making sure everything seems okay first, if i even sence that something isnt right i leave the area no questions asked, i'm always vigilant, its hard explaing it to normal people because they look at you crazy, they just dont know. im tired and sick of always having the feeling like i need to be armed, i hate being alert and on my toes everywhere i go, i can never enjoy the moment because i feel something can happen at any moment and i need to be ready, if i catch someone staring at me i nodd my head at them as a form of respect if they dont nodd back i presieve them as a threat and all of my attention is on them with my hand on it ready to go, i play it off by just looking straight but my side eye is on them. Ive changed alot, i dint dress the same, i stopped shaving my head and my hair is now long, i go to college, i try my best to avoid conflict or drama or big crowds, road rage has been really challenging for me.. people that want to talk hard while driving not knowing what i have in my hand can end their life...its taken absolute power to hold back from losing my cool, i have things to lose now, and people i cannot let down, but everyday is a battle, i pray that some day i'll find peace.

[DavidGalich]

Devastating but there is light at the end of the tunnel. God bless.

[brianwalsh]

I'm glad to see this gentleman listen to his parents and go to get the help he needs which is owed to him by the US which sent him to a combat zone. I hope he's doing well because a lot of veterans aren't doing well or have died from psychological or physical wounds and to show the vulnerability necessary to heal from their physical and psychological wounds. I hope all the veterans continue their healing journeys as long as it takes, maybe the rest of their lives. However long it takes the US will continue to support them as long as necessary, I hope. Good luck veterans.

[Anythingwilldo]

Love you brother when the night becomes day it’s so wonderful ❤

[DoctorEkatigbak]

Thank you for sharing. Thank you for your service (I know this is overused and veterans are tired of hearing the words). We train our military to go fight for our country, but we don’t train y’all for assimilating & coming home (yes, there’s Seps & TAPS, but that’s just a bunch of slides & a job fair). Glad you’re back home and going to the VA for support!

[straitjacket]

I was as in Beruit and was suffering for 40 yrs always suppressed it made light of it then I went to the anniversary and haven’t been the same all that flooded back nonstop Same things I always thought I was fucked up crowds situations always bothered me but being a Marine you just dealt with it now I’m at point where I’m tired don’t care If anybody reads this get help talk to someone before you become like me SFMFs

[leeann]

Thank you for sharing your story ... this video is extremely helpful to me ... and thank you for your service !!!

[fabioperez]

Wow thank you for this video, and thank you for giving so much to this country.

[baalphegor]

Posted on veterans day and no comments or likes!!!! Goddamn that's disgusting!!! I love my country and I love my country men!!! My great grandfather saved me from Nazi's!!! He fought so that I wouldn't be killed in a camp or grow up speaking German! That's my great grandfathers sacrifice. That's this man's sacrifice!! All soldiers sacrifice so much!! Bring back the draft for anyone who doesn't have this in their head.
I'm going to go see a movie with a big tub of popcorn. And it's all because of the US Army 1st Infantry!!!! Big Red One and the God Blessed Marine Corps!!!

[antonetteulloa]

Thank you for your service. I think most think that going into a hostile environment for the good of the underdogs, the innocent, that the mission is clear. Not that this isn't what you are doing, hopefully during your time there it didn't get so distorted which it could very well happen.
I once asked that question "did you kill anyone?" the answer was "I don't want to talk about it." and I never brought it up again. To be honest, I don't think I truly wanted to know. I had just witness a change in the person that was beyond what I had expected. The person wasn't acting like the person I thought I knew and I was trying to understand the change.
I pray you are able to find peace and live a long happy life. Don't stop trying to work thought this difficult moment in your life, don't stop trying to fight your demons.
Seek out your brothers and sisters regardless of where and when they fought. You all have are fighting the same demons.
God bless you all and walk in peace.

[alanroberts]

It’s been real hard for me. I’ve stayed by my lonesome now for a few years. But my own family started stealing my VA checks, ended up going homeless. And the VA wouldn’t let me switch my own money to my own account Bc I didn’t know the routing number and account number of my family members bank where my money ended up being sent for over a year. Had to spend over 5 months in a psych ward in sturgis South Dakota just to be able to get my own money. But after that long with nothing. Being too disabled to work. I’ve seen some disgusted looks from random people who thought I was just another bum. Took me to start drinking, stealing bottles from liquor stores trying to get drunk enough to not wake up. Always did though. Was stabbed, beaten with a bat, jumped and had my teeth kicked out, all after I was already disabled and medically retired from the MarineCorps.

[jam]

I also been to Afghanistan and Iraq i have PTSD and i thousand yard stare .. as one veteran to another how do i he people to. Understand when i in gym i may be looking their direction but not at them

[aimeeseek]

The therapist is like the talk doctor and the psychiatrist is who prescribed medicine.