| " WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Retired U.S. Navy medic Charlie Anderson twice thought about committing suicide: once when he feared he would be sent back to Iraq in 2004 and again last year when a friend and fellow veteran killed himself." " "I can't say that I can't go because we don't do that, I also can't go because I'm putting people in danger if I do," he said of his first brush with suicidal thoughts, which came while he was awaiting his second deployment." " In the end, Anderson was not deployed but it sparked a two-year effort to get help for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one of thousands of soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan facing a battle to re-enter everyday life." " Those worries come as President George W. Bush has ordered almost 30,000 more troops to Iraq. Already 1.5 million soldiers have been deployed in the U.S.-led war on terrorism, with one-third serving at least two combat tours, which increases the chances of PTSD." " Despite finally receiving treatment, Anderson finds himself in the middle of a divorce and still constantly on edge -- jumpy at loud noises and always eyeing the exits of rooms." " "I have triggers every day, but I'm learning how to deal with them," he said." " The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates 12 percent to 20 percent of those who served in Iraq suffer from PTSD. A 2004 Army study found 16.6 percent of those returning from combat tested positive for the disorder." " Individuals suffer from PTSD if they relive the trauma, experience emotional numbness, isolation, depression, substance abuse, and memory problems. These often lead to job instability and marital troubles. " " "I see a range of people coming in from a level of having PTSD but not being severely handicapped and dysfunctional, then I see other people who are really, really handicapped and dysfunctional," said Dr. Wayne Gregory, a psychologist at the Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System." " Two studies in the last month have shown more than 30 percent of soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan met the criteria for a mental disorder, with the American Psychological Association (APA) finding at best that 40 percent sought help." " "Now people are getting out of the service and they're beginning to seek help," said Dr. Paul Hicks, professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at Texas A&M's Health Science Center College of Medicine." " "We don't know when or if that will level off. It's got to level off at some point, but we haven't reached
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