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PTSD Warning For Soldiers Returning Home From The Battlefield

By Todd Quinones

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With the war in Iraq now over, thousands of troops are leaving the battlefield and heading home where families across the country are getting the emotional homecomings they have been waiting for.

Sons and daughters wives and husbands home and in time for the holidays.

"I'm not going to let him go. It's great(crying). Merry Christmas to everybody, all the military. It's too much," said mom Lynn Wrzesinski.

At Philadelphia international airport on Wednesday, servicemen and women were greeted by loved ones.

"Happy to be home see my kids. I'm going to sneak in today and see my daughter in high school," said Army Staff Sgt. Phillip Smith.

But for some troops the joy of being home can turn overwhelming.

"Now (comes) tying to figure out how I become mommy or daddy again. How do I really interact with my children, how do I interact with my family members," therapist George James of Council for Relationships said.

James is a licensed therapist with the council for relationships who has counseled veterans struggling with the anxiety and stress that can come with readjusting to home life.

"Sometimes it's not always that obvious, they might be struggling with things. Sometimes I've seen a lot of depression, a lot of anger, a lot of withdrawal," James said.

James believes troops are quick to seek help for their physical injuries suffered during war, but often the mental issues including post traumatic stress disorder can go untreated.

"Sometimes it's not really encouraged that it is okay to see someone. It's okay to get help," James said.

RELATED LINK: American Psychiatric Association

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