Vallejo Vietnam War veteran getting help 40 years after coming home
Times-Herald
By Sarah Rohrs staff writer
POSTED: 09/22/2013
Vallejo Vietnam War veteran Maurice Toomer, 65, said he went far too long before getting help for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Nearly 40 years after he returned home from Vietnam, he has finally found some, and is coping with nightmares, fear and strong emotions through a weekly support group.
He is afraid the younger generation of veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan don't know help is available, and he's on a mission to get the word out to them.
"They (are) still young. They can have a good quality of life. They can make it," Toomer said.
Each Friday, Maurice attends the weekly PTSD support group for Vietnam War veterans held at the Mare Island Outpatient Clinic in Vallejo.
The support, camaraderie and chance to talk about his feelings and experiences helps him cope and feel more peaceful, he added.
The group is led by clinical psychologist Jerry Boriskin who said a similar support group is held for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans at Travis Air Force Base.
Boriskin said large numbers of Vietnam War veterans are retiring from their jobs and now seeking benefits for a host of health problems, including PTSD.
For many of these veterans, working hard and staying busy has helped them cope with PTSD, Boriskin said.
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