Army Medic Shares Her Hopeful PTSD Story

Post-traumatic stress disorder is real, but it can be overcome with proper support.

That is the message that Army Staff Sergeant Megan Krause hopes to convey as she adds her experience to other soldiers' real life stories of coping after serving.

Krause, 27, served as a medic in both Afghanistan and Iraq before she decided to go off active duty and get a college degree, American Forces Press Service reports.

However, when she started her studies at Penn State, not everything went smoothly. Although she initially believed she was dealing "quite well" with occasional flashbacks and nightmares, Krause eventually found herself relying on alcohol to manage stress.

She began skipping classes and falling behind, and one fateful night she drank too much and became paranoid that terrorists were waiting in her apartment, Krause told the Press Service.

Krause ended up at a veterans hospital, which she credits, along with family and friends, for helping her heal. Now the army medic wants to use her experiences to help others.

"What I hope to do is take what was a really horrible experience and turn it into a positive experience for other veterans and service members who may be struggling," she told the news provider.

She is part of the Real Warriors campaign, sponsored by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, aimed at raising awareness of PTSD and psychological trauma.