Lasting trauma
War is horrific, but for those men and women that fight, the horror lasts. Of men and war is a documentary directed by Laurent Bécue-Renard that showcases the demons that our men and women in uniform must face upon returning home from armed conflict. The film deeply delves into the psychological turmoil that can become a veterans' existence after experiencing the horrors of war. The film revolves around a small group of U.S veterans from various conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, who are in a veterans' recovery program for their PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). The men recount their experiences, their anger, and their coping mechanisms. It follows these veterans throughout their path to recovery, some make it, while others
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It was first conceptualized in 1980, prior to that, the soldiers were just given psychotic meds and sent on their way.“In World War One, they called it shell shock. Second time around, they called it battle fatigue. After 'Nam, it was post-traumatic stress disorder”(Jan Karon, Home to Holly Springs). Despite more awareness, PTSD is still not understood by the general populace due to this, veterans coming home from war have an extremely difficult time re-assimilating into normal American society. This difficulty results in a social stigma around our vets, which makes this such a major social issue. Politically, PTSD is an issue due to how the veterans seek treatment. The VA (Department of Veterans’ Affairs) is responsible for the benefits and treatments of our U.S veterans. Recently, the effectiveness of the VA’s treatment methods have been called into question. To paraphrase a WIRED article, the main treatment that the VA uses is antipsychotics, which are “no more effective than placebos and come with serious side effects”(“The VA fails at PTSD treatment-again”). This means that the treatment of PTSD is a political issue, because it is run by the government and politicians decide how the VA is run.
Of men and war is a harrowing look into the world of veterans struggling with all of the after-effects of war, the main one being PTSD. From this disorder, many problems arise, including anger, depression,