PORTLAND, Ore. — Those who served us, and our country, can really suffer over the 4th of July holiday. Here’s how P.T.S.D. impacted an Oregon family.
Debbie Castleton’s dad was a Marine who earned three purple hearts. And every year, fourth of July fireworks would send him into a panic: hiding in closets or crawl spaces.
“He couldn’t sleep. Sometimes he would lash out not knowing where he was. He couldn’t tell if he was still in a war zone or back home. As a small child, I didn’t understand what was happening. I just knew that the fireworks made my dad act in ways that were scary and very unpredictable…