My grandfather was an RAF WWII vet. My mom would tell stories about his struggles; that she could not even sneak up on him and give him a big daddy hug because he would freak out.
This Summer in Montreal I was talking with a former U.S. Marine as we waited in line for a show. His stories about the treatment and lack of support of war vets today gave the impression that a large social injustice was being carried out against those who have put themselves in harms way to protect a nation's freedom.
So when a friend and another veteran asked me if I wanted to write something up about a new drama he is producing about the topic of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder I could not say no. The statistics are staggering.
• Up to 20% (that's 1 in 5) of veterans from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars suffer from PTSD• 240,000 veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD• PTSD diagnoses among deployed troops increased by 400% from 2004 to 2012• Almost 40% of PTSD victims are classified as severe cases who are at-risk for suicide• Since 2001, more active-duty U.S. troops have killed themselves than have been killed in Afghanistan• Regardless of their level of service, every veteran is at risk: Navy SEALs, Army Rangers and other elite troops from the military's secretive Special Operations community are also killing themselves at record rates• 18 veterans commit suicide each day, based on comprehensive data
More has to be done than a standing ovation at a frigging baseball game.
I will leave you with the final paragraph on the campaign page. Please consider contributing.Harrison James has seen hell. After receiving an honorable discharge from the Marines, he returns home and works hard to reestablish a relationship with his wife, Kay, and 3-year-old son, Mikey, while trying to find a job and take college courses.Tragically, the war he left behind is the war that won't go away. He's constantly plagued by flashbacks and insomnia. He screams in the night, which terrifies Kay and the rest of his family. As the walls close in, Harrison goes to the VA for help. After he's diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), he continues self-medicating and becomes distant with everyone.Harrison's downward spiral continues. He starts having violent outbursts and finds himself in jail after a bar fight. Though it isn't until Harrison pulls a gun on his son and turns the weapon on himself that he realizes he has an uncontrollable problem. Will Harrison become another casualty of the war at home or will he find the help that leads to his survival?
But the greatest risk for this project is it never gets made and the topic is swept under the rug. PTSD is not going away. And the lives of our veterans depend on having films such as War at Home to discuss and bring about topics the American public needs to understand. We cannot turn our backs on the troops.