WHEELING, W.Va. -- A local Iraq war veteran opened up to NEWS9 about the daily struggles of living with post traumatic stress disorder.

When soldiers leave the war zone, it’s not always a happy homecoming.

"When I came home the first time,” said Ryan Flowers, 25, of Moundsville, “I thought something wasn't right. I felt out of place."

Flowers is one of thousands of Iraq veterans dealing with PTSD.

He served two tours in Iraq, and his jobs included being a heavy wheel mechanic and convoy security.

Flowers’ job in convoy security required him to protect groups of civilians and war supplies.

“Making sure we could get supplies from one camp to another to support the ongoing war effort,” said Flowers.

While Flowers worked at night, his visions are clear as day.

“A night in December, we were leaving Mosul, and there was an explosion on the horizon," said Flowers. “To see an explosion come up over the horizon from that distance, it was my best friend who was in that explosion. He's OK, as OK as you can be."

When he got home from the war, Flowers quickly noticed he had a problem.

"I'd just sit there, and all of a sudden I'd think of being in Iraq, and just can't sleep," said Flowers.

His symptoms started with insomnia and he began experiencing other emotions.

"My temper would be off-the-wall, and I would get very depressed, at times for no reason at all,” said Flowers. “I'd go from an extreme high, followed by crashing to an extreme low. There was no way to control it in between."

Dealing with a divorce, and no one to turn to, Flowers looked to the Wheeling Vet Center for help.

Team Leader John Looney sees hundreds of veterans each month, all dealing with the same memories.

"They can't talk about it,” said Looney. “You can't talk about it. You know nobody wants to hear that. Nobody can really understand because they've never experienced it."

Looney told NEWS9 that the hardest part for veterans is taking the first step: asking for help.

"We all struggled, so we want to help somebody else not struggle,” said Flowers. “And we have the expertise to do that."

As for Flowers, he’s getting the help he needs.

"It's helped out to know that I'm not the only one," said Flowers.

While Flowers is free from the war, he's hoping one day he'll be free from PTSD.

If you would like more information about veterans service in the valley, you can contact the Wheeling Veterans Center at 304-232-0587 or 800-535-7950, and the Jefferson County Veteran’s Service Office at 740-283-8571.

Natalie Pasquarella, NEWS9 For more local news, click here