March 23, 2010

Though soldier Mike Scotti had been looking forward to his return home, when he came back to the U.S. from Iraq in 2003 he was surprised by how different he felt from those around him.

The veteran felt as if he could no longer relate to the cares and concerns of civilians, which seemed trivial to him, and he began to feel incredibly isolated, according to CNN.com.

However, when Scotti became aware that the anger, resentment and detachment he felt were impacting his relationships with those he cared about, he sought help.

“After realizing that my sense of isolation was alienating me from those I loved, I made the conscious decision to use my experiences in combat as a source of great strength, versus letting them become a weakness,” Scotti wrote on the news site.

Scotti has since gone on to found a nonprofit called Reserve, which aims to provide financial support to veterans and their families who have survived combat but been adversely affected by their service.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 5.2 million Americans between the ages of 18 and 54 suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Individuals who have survived war or violent incidents may turn to organizations such as the Trauma Resource Institute or the American Red Cross for resources and information.