One Veteran Slowly Learns to Manage PTSD

Mike Jernigan is a US Marine who was severely wounded and blinded in Iraq. The New York Times has been covering his slow recovery and integration into civilian life. In this latest instalment, he describes how he is learning, with help, to cope with the violent dreams that are part of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). MP+

One of the things that I am learning as I am living with P.T.S.D. is that these feelings can be dealt with positively, that these different symptoms do not have to control my life. I am doing my best to live my life and be happy. There is no magic pill that will make things better. By facing the difficult emotions and learning how to positively react to them my life becomes easier. The emotions are still there — they will probably never go away. But when I face them sober and head on I can live my good dreams and not be controlled by the difficult ones.

Read the whole piece here.