For some returning combat veterans with stress disorders, Walmart presents the ultimate challenge.

(That's an amazing statement - the last place Pat and I went together was - Wal-Mart.....and shortly after that he "snapped".)

By Chris Roberts / El Paso Times
Posted: 09/04/2009 12:00:00 AM MDT
The Scars of War: Center helps combat soldiers readjust to life

Military and civilian law enforcement officials listen at the Community Awareness Symposium

EL PASO -- Fewer of the nation's soldiers are dying on battlefields, in large part because of improved medical technology and techniques. But hundreds of thousands of them are bringing home unseen injuries that medical experts still are learning how to diagnose and treat.

Post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury are getting unprecedented attention from the medical community as more and more soldiers seek help for the conditions.

Medical officials see promising trends in treating these injuries, which appear to be different than the same types received in non-combat situations. And the Army is looking for ways to make soldiers more "resilient" before they send them into combat zones.

Repeated deployments into dangerous areas are, in part, responsible for the prevalence of stress disorders. Brain injuries are relatively common in Iraq and Afghanistan because of the insurgents' widespread use of roadside bombs.

For some returning combat veterans with stress disorders, Walmart presents the ultimate challenge.

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http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_13263778?source=most_emailed