need to add title here

Iraq veteran's rocky return

October 14, 2012 4:00 PM

When Marine Cpl. Kevin Thomas returned from serving in Iraq, he seemed to adjust quickly to civilian life. But Thomas tells Scott Pelley that he soon began to experience symptoms of PTSD and drank heavily to cope.

Coming Home: Justice for our veterans
Add a Comment
by ZoomInOnThePresent October 17, 2012 12:12 PM EDT
I have also suffered from PTSD for most of my life and it sent me down the wrong path at times but I found something to help me and I created a blog to help others. I am not selling anything just sharing my experience. zoominonthepresent.blogspot.com
Reply to this comment
by ZoomInOnThePresent October 17, 2012 12:11 PM EDT
Here is the name of my blog if you would all like to see it. http://www.zoominonthepresent.blogspot.com
Reply to this comment
by ZoomInOnThePresent October 17, 2012 12:10 PM EDT
I have also suffered from PTSD for most of my life and it sent me down the wrong path at times but I found something to help me and I created a blog to help others. I am not selling anything just sharing my experience.
Reply to this comment
by Lablev October 16, 2012 2:13 PM EDT
I am so glad someone is paying attention to this issue. My brother went to Iraq back in the early 90's and the issues began from there. He went from being a person who excelled at everything and a model soldier to someone who has had constant anger issues, delusions, unable to control his life. Constantly lost jobs, unable to sleep with door closed and can only sleep with medication. When he was finally attempting to get assistance he was put into jail for a previous charge. His public defender never assisted him and gave him no options but to accept a plea bargain for over a year he was jailed without seeing a judge. He was kept awake without medication for over 24 hours until he signed a plea bargain. He is now serving a eight year stint in Federal prison in a Texas prison. So glad someone is helping and knows that our soldiers are not crazy.
Reply to this comment
by dlnemeth October 14, 2012 9:37 PM EDT
Wonderful segment on our veteran's suffering with PTSD. My husband and I were both in tears. You see, our son returned from Afghanistan June 5, 2010 and suffered with PTSD. The military diagnosed him with PTSD, but did little more... prescribed sleeping pills and that was about all. He searched for help, but everyone he talked to had the book smarts, but had no clue what he had been through on his deployment. He kept saying he needed to talk to someone who could relate to what he had been through and been in his boots. My husband at one point called Jason's captain, but there was little to no follow up with Jason. Our son, Sgt. Jason L. Nemeth took his life June 29, 2011. He was 26 1/2 years old. Once a very happy young man, loving, caring, considerate of others and sensitive, he was not the same upon his return from war. He was distant, scared to be alone but did not want to be in crowds of people, anxious, easily angered and suffered from nightmares and the demons that followed him home. There were a few times that we caught glimpses of the Jason we knew and loved and kept thinking he was getting better. We wish he would have received the type of help described in your segment this evening. We are, however, very glad to know this is getting more attention and that there is hope for at least some of our brave men and women who serve this country. I would only add that the military needs to offer more help upon our veteran's return from war BEFORE they get to the point of being in a judge's court room. It is a disgrace that the military can recruit and offer thousands of dollars in bonuses to these young people, train them, send to to war and then ignore the problems when they return. Thank you again for giving this subject the attention it deserves.

Diane Nemeth
Reply to this comment
Recent Segments

60MinutesOverTime

60 Minutes Overtime is a weekly web show that begins where the weekly television broadcast ends

  • 48 Hours iPad App

    Big changes for the 2012-2013 season! Watch the current week's episode for FREE up to a week after it airs or subscribe for access to all shows, classic episodes and more!