The American Voice with Kristina

Phil Ruddock For those of you that doubt the effects a Service Dog can have on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),let me tell you my story.I'm a Desert Storm Veteran,what I did there is only my demons I must face.I came back with all the classic symptoms.I drank all the time,I couldn't get along with anyone,I kept checking every room in the house to make sure it was clear every time I came home,I got up and checked the locks on the doors and windows too many times to count,I was always depressed and pissed at the world,and I never slept.I drove my family so crazy that they wanted to leave.I still do some of those things,but it's getting better.After the military,I worked for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center until about six years ago when my PTSD became so bad, I had a nervous breakdown.For the next three years I basically stayed on my couch,seldom leaving my land except for a trip to town once or twice a month.This became my standard until a nice person named Brenda Wagner asked me to foster some dogs for her.There was one pit bull that was a lot like I was.She was scared,avoided people,wanted to hide under a rock,and always on guard.I worked with this dog named Mia,and we became attached.She would ride with me where ever I went.I started to feel I had someone to watch my back again. That is one of the main things that is wrong when we come back.We go from knowing we have a whole group of soldiers watching our back to coming home and being alone.Mia became my “battle buddy”,She would wake me up when I had nightmares,calm me down when I had an anxiety attack, watch my back at a counter at a store or the bank, even assure me when I had doubts.Mia was the constant in my life that PTSD took away.Everyone would leave for work or school but Mia was always there.After almost two years with Mia by my side,I can now travel some places on my own,but she still comes with me on trips out of town.