Invisible Wounds: PTSD Among U.S. Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Infantry scout Jesus Bocanegra witnessed suffering and death firsthand in Iraq. After returning home to the U.S., Bocanegra suffered from frequent flashbacks, nightmares, nervousness, and felt emotionally numb. Like Bocanegra, some 300,000 veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD or major depressive disorder (Tanielian, 2008). The high rate of PTSD and suicide may be related to unique aspects of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. As Veterans Affairs physician Karen Seal and her colleagues (2008) observed, “The majority of military personnel experience high-intensity guerrilla warfare and the chronic threat of roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices. Some soldiers endure multiple tours of duty, many experience traumatic injury, and more of the wounded survive than ever before.”

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