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It [reminded me of] burning human flesh.

David Carpentier, US Army 1977 - 2009, talks about how he knew he had PTSD.

Transcript

Being from Texas, South Texas, you have family gatherings,

barbecues, you grill meat, things like that.

I didn't realize that until, again, same family event,

family is grilling meat and stuff

and all of the sudden, I started getting the smell

and it started reminding me a lot about burning flesh,

human flesh.

You know, that type of thing, and I think that

that was the start of my anxiety

with my confrontation and stuff, family members,

and I walked away,

I tried to get up wind from

where the grilling was being done.

And even today, I'm much better now

and actually, I gradually have started

working my way back in, so to speak,

to be able to be close to where, let's say,

some steaks are being grilled, that type of thing.

It's horrible.

You know, it's,

I don't.

It's just a horrible feeling.

I don't know how to explain it.

It's like, I used to be an adamant hunter

before I ever deployed.

I don't care to anymore.

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