WATCH: Military Service Dog Springs Into Action To Save Master From PTSD Attack During Interview


Erick Scott is an Iraq war veteran who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). After faithfully serving his country, he returned home with nightmares filled with death and pain. He says he often regrets his survival when so many of his fallen brothers died in a war zone far from home.

After suffering numerous violent panic attacks that would wake Scott and his wife up in the middle of the night — often leaving the bed soaked with cold sweat — Scott sought help.

The doctors diagnosed him with PTSD, but he expressed his reluctance to accept neither the diagnosis nor the drugs they gave him to treat it. He felt lost until someone recommended Canines For Warriors, a program which partnered service dogs with soldiers having a difficult time readjusting to post-war life.

Soon, a special service dog named Gumbo came into his life. During an interview, despite receiving strict orders to stay still, Gumbo took notice of his master’s rising anxiety when talking about his PTSD. The attentive dog sprang into action and began to soothe his master, preventing a panic attack before it had a chance to manifest.

Watch Gumbo in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y_a_V1QD3U

The Lone Survivor Foundation explains what PTSD is and some of the dangers millions of service men and women face when dealing with it.

Today, there are many terms to describe combat trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) and Operational stress. These struggles are what many servicemen and women deal with after exposure to life threatening situations. Whether one witnesses, or is directly involved with the event, it can have profound psychological effects on the individual.

Combat trauma and/or PTSD leaves SM/Vets with painful symptoms such as flashbacks, avoidance, isolation, and hyper-arousal reactions including anger outbursts, tension and hyper-vigilance. These emotional and behavioral changes can have devastating effects on someone’s interpersonal life, but also their family and work life as well. If left untreated, PTSD can spiral into other problems such as panic disorder, substance abuse, depression, and suicidal feelings.

Spouses and children can be greatly affected by these invisible injuries and their side effects. How? A spouse may become a “caregiver” and have to abandon the role as wife or husband, in order to deal with the daily crisis resulting from untreated PTSD, while a child, whose parent has PTSD, may develop anxieties and self esteem issues. Source: Lone Survivor Foundation.

PTSD is also linked with suicide among service members. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in America. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention estimates that 42,773 Americans die each year by suicide. Furthermore, military veterans consist of 20 percent of all suicide deaths each year. We need to invest more resources into mental health programs and research as well as sensible gun control; there are no excuses for allowing so many preventable deaths.

Featured image Screengrab via YouTube.