My military side

PictureMy husband and I on our wedding day.
      My name is Charlene, and I am married to a combat veteran who has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have been with him for 11 years and through two deployments, both Iraq and Afghanistan. After his deployments, things started to change, and he became a different person. When he came back from his first deployment, I noticed that he didn’t want to do things anymore. He just wanted to sit at home and watch Fox News. Then one day, he yelled at me. I know this might not seem like a big deal to you, but he never yelled at me before. I can still remember the hurt that I felt in my heart. I had no idea what was going on, and we actually ended up parting ways for about six months; not my decision. After his second deployment, he began having nightmares every night. This was when he was finally diagnosed with PTSD. We have been through our ups and down since then, and I would like to share my story with you so that you know you are not alone.

I would love to hear your story. Feel free to email me at ptsdveteranswife@gmail.com.

My personal side

    I'm a mother of three with four grandchildren. When I married my husband I became the step-mother of five, and I gained three more grandchildren. My youngest is 10 and still keeping me busy at home. I am also a full-time student majoring in Journalism and Anthropology and minoring in Women and Gender Studies. I will graduate in December 2015, and then I plan on going to graduate school for Social Work. I have decided that through social work I can continue helping veterans with PTSD and I would love to work for Veteran's Affairs. In my free time, I love to spend time with my family, travel to exotic locations and go to the movies. Movies just always seem to relax me when I am stressed.