Soldier Living with PTSD
By: Meagan Fitzgerald
Updated: June 28, 2009
It's been over 4 years since staff sergeant Lewis Wallace was fighting in Iraq.
But, he says it feels like he never left.
Wallace said, "I would scream and cuss some one for no reason and all and after I did it it's too late to say I'm sorry."
Wallace says his family finally encouraged him to get checked out and that's when he found out he had PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The United State Department of Veteran Affairs describes PTSD as an anxiety disorder that can occur after you've been through a traumatic event. Symptoms include trouble sleeping, losing interest in things you used to enjoy and getting angry easily. Wallace says he has all of those symptoms.
Wallace said, "I try to explain to some of them you know it's not that easy to turn the switch on and off."
Wallace received many awards over his 24 years of service, he says it's the metals that give him a sense of pride for all the work that hes done.
Wallace said, "It means the world to me if I had to do it again to get more awards I would, but it's not all about the awards though it's fighting for the freedom of my country."
Wallace said, "I would scream and cuss some one for no reason and all and after I did it it's too late to say I'm sorry."
Wallace says his family finally encouraged him to get checked out and that's when he found out he had PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The United State Department of Veteran Affairs describes PTSD as an anxiety disorder that can occur after you've been through a traumatic event. Symptoms include trouble sleeping, losing interest in things you used to enjoy and getting angry easily. Wallace says he has all of those symptoms.
Wallace said, "I try to explain to some of them you know it's not that easy to turn the switch on and off."
Wallace received many awards over his 24 years of service, he says it's the metals that give him a sense of pride for all the work that hes done.
Wallace said, "It means the world to me if I had to do it again to get more awards I would, but it's not all about the awards though it's fighting for the freedom of my country."
