Former POW, Jessica Lynch shares what life is like 12 years after rescue from Iraqi captivity

For years, Lynch hid her struggle.

Although many expect Jessica Lynch to be perfectly fine now, she explains that she still battles with the emotional and physical trauma from her captivity during the Iraqi War twelve years ago. Lynch was just 19 when she was abducted by Iraqi troops and assaulted after the ambush. She admits that she has had a lot of sleepless nights and suffers with depression, which she now sees a psychiatrist for.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - "People expect me to be doing OK. They expect that I should be perfectly fine now," she said during her interview with CNN. Over the past years, a lot of positive, motivating events have happened to her; she has 2 degrees, a bachelor's in elementary education and masters in communication, she had a daughter and she is engaged.

However, the horrifying experience still haunts her. Lynch initially didn't seek help from mental health professionals while she coped with her depression, but things changed when she began to shut everyone out and couldn't get out of bed last year, marking another anniversary since her capture.

Doctors for the Department of Veterans Affairs were alarmed over her struggles and urged her to see a psychiatrist, which she eventually did. Lynch is still working her through the nightmares and trauma. She is persevering, despite daily struggles.

The scars stayed - since 2003 she has been through 22 surgeries and still wears a metal rod on her leg, after begging not to have hers amputated.

She was unconscious when she was abducted and taken to one of Saddam Hussein's palaces; she was sexually assaulted after the supply convoy was ambushed.

The world witnessed her dramatic rescue by the U.S. Army and followed her story until she was back with her family.

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