WASHINGTON -- As head of the Veteran's Administration under President Jimmy Carter, Vietnam veteran Max Cleland was involved in setting up VA Vet centers to help soldiers returning from war get counseling and readjust to life back home.

Now Cleland has revealed that he's suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and getting help from those same counseling programs he helped create.

Cleland, who lost three limbs in the war, said he didn't get much help for his own psychological wounds when he returned from battle.

The former U.S. Senator from Georgia described his symptoms to Channel 2 Action News reporter Alison Burns.

He said he feels depressed, has developed a sense of hyper-vigilance about his security and has difficulty sleeping.

He believes the Iraq war has, in part, triggered his condition.

"I realize my symptoms are avoidance, not wanting to connect with anything dealing with the [Iraq] war, tremendous sadness over the casualties that are taken, a real identification with that.....I've tried to disconnect and disassociate from the media. I don't watch it as much. I'm not engrossed in it like I was," he said.

Cleland is not alone.

The Department of Veterans Affairs reported that more than 10,000 Vietnam era veterans have filed new PTSD claims in the last year.

Vietnam veterans make up about 191,000 of the VA's 263,000 PTSD cases.

Cleland said he's in a trauma counseling program at Walter Reed Medical Center, and he's taking anti-depressant medication.

He's urging other veterans who might be experiencing similar symptoms to also get help through the veteran centers.

The VA has 207 VA Vet centers across the country providing counseling and outreach services to all veterans who served in the combat zone, and their families.

The VA said veterans have earned these free confidential benefits through their military service.

Each state has several Vet centers. To find the one in your area, click on www.va.gov or call 1-800-905-4675.

The VA also runs the National Center for PTSD which provides a great deal of general information about PTSD and its treatment. The center's web site also includes links to other support services for veterans and their families at www.ncptsd.va.gov.