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I couldn't even walk in Walmart.

Kevin Cottrell, US Army 1980 - 2008, talks about how he knew he had PTSD.

Transcript

Basically, when I'm scared I get hypervigilant.

When I first came back, I couldn't even walk in Walmart.

I had a real hard problem going to Walmart.

I'd hear people talk from a different language

and it put me on edge.

I would literally back up against the aisle in the wall

and watch the aisle down until they passed,

if they were behind me so I always kept them ahead of me.

We went to a function at New Hampshire International Speedway

where I was starting to actually patrol, doing things

where I patrol where I'd circle around and back between my son

and his best friend and I didn't realize I was doing it.

And then they started to stay in front and back of me to keep me

from being so nervous about people.

And I didn't even realize that my finger went up on my chest

like I was holding my gun, the first time I went there.

And this was basically less than a month after I got back.

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