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I actually thought I was having a heart attack.

Valerie Ovalle, US Army 2004 - 2005, talks about how she knew she had PTSD.

Transcript

When I have a trigger about Iraq,

for the first year,

I actually thought I was having a heart attack.

I was at the emergency room at least three times a week,

because my heart was just racing so fast

that I felt like I was going to have a heart attack,

or it was just going to pop out my chest,

and start running away.

I mean, the first year,

when I returned, it was that.

My hands get sweaty,

sweat just keeps coming down my forehead.

But I think the main thing was the heart racing,

and I couldn't breathe, like I was having trouble breathing.

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