MOSCOW, April 3 (RIA Novosti) - Veterans may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the rest of their life and have to see mental specialists on regular basis, Mikhail Vinogradov, head of the Moscow Center for Legal and Psychological Assistance in Extreme Situations, told RIA Novosti Thursday.
People diagnosed with PTSD may feel like desire for shooting at any time, especially if they encounter something that reminds them of their traumatic experience, the expert said.
"We have a special memory, a memory of abided terror," Vinogradov said.
He noted that the most dangerous period for people who developed PTSD is the first six months following the traumatizing event but the military can suffer from PTSD effects all life long.
"Several factors contributed the recent incident in the US. The soldier had a bad temper and was experiencing anger after encountering with even a minor problem," the psychiatrist said.
The short-tempered soldiers should be banned from carrying guns, the expert said.
"But then there is a legal problem because a person can be mentally healthy at the time of purchasing weapons but disorder can manifest itself situational. The ones having guns should be obliged by law to see psychiatrists for update on their condition," he said.
On Wednesday, a US soldier who served in Iraq in 2011 and was undergoing a diagnosis for PTSD, shot dead three people and injured at least 16 on Wednesday before taking his own life at an Army base in Fort Hood, Texas.
