As human beings we all respond to trauma and stress differently. While one person reacts better by being alone, others need assistance to regain control of their lives. There’s no right way to handle stress and there is no set time to when you’ll feel better. It’s an individual reaction.

For veterans, the rate of possible stress reaction is 1-in-4. If you’re a veteran experiencing any of these feelings, you could be suffering from signs of stress:

• Re-experiencing the event, which can take the form of intrusive thoughts and recollections, or recurrent dreams

• Avoidance behavior in which you avoid activities, situations, people and/or conversations which you associate with the trauma

• A general numbness and loss of interest in your surroundings; this can also appear as detachment

• Hypersensitivity, including: inability to sleep, anxious feelings, overactive startle response, hypervigilence, irritability, and outbursts of anger (Anxiety Disorders Association of America, http://www.adaa.org)

Call 1-866-VETS-NJ-4