Daddy's Home Analysis

“Daddy’s home. Daddy’s gone. Daddy’s home. Daddy’s gone. Daddy’s home. Daddy’s gone” (Hummert). This is the way of life for millions of Americans with parents in the military. But for some of them, Daddy comes home different. He is suffering from a condition called post-traumatic stress disorder, which is mental disease in which one has constant flashbacks to a traumatizing and life-threatening event. The articles “The Forever War of the Mind,” “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),” and “Daddy’s Home” all share insight into this malady. In the op-ed New York Times article “The Forever War of the Mind” by Max Cleland well articulates the detrimental effects of this terrible disease. He gives statistics to prove the claim that “war is haunting” (Cleland). Statistics are provided, including “that 35 percent of the soldiers who fought in Iraq will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder” (Cleland). The numbers are most likely similar in Afghanistan, so that means the 600,000 soldiers will suffer from devastating memories. The worst part about this is PTSD was not recognized as an admissible disorder until 1978,

The author explains that it is “a condition that can develop after you have gone through a life-threatening event” (Daniels and Steineke) Some of the symptoms include: depression, self-blame, guilt, and shame, anger or aggressive behavior, and alcohol/drug abuse. As elucidated to by the authors, those who suffer from PTSD “may try to avoid people and places that remind [them] of the trauma” (Daniels and Steineke). They will also feel numb, startle easily, and always be on guard. Veterans will blame themselves for what may be traumatizing them, and become hooked on drugs and alcohol in order to cope with their problems. The authors are informing the reader about this horrible ailment and that it must be recognized and treated