PTSD Affecting Soldiers He stood there, frozen, shocked, not knowing what to do when he saw a gun pointed at him. Thankfully, the trigger didn’t work, but he had to witness a scarring event, in which he had shot his enemy in the head. It is not surprising that soldiers returning from a stressful war often suffer from a psychological condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. For instance, in the book Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, the principle character Perry unmistakably demonstrates how war troopers can be damaged and experience the ill effects of PTSD.
The Effects of PTSD on WWII POWs During World War II, thousands of American soldiers were captured and taken into Japanese prisoner of war camps. These POWs were subjected to terrible treatment and horrible conditions. Their environments were so terrible that many World War II POWs have developed post-traumatic stress disorder, a disease which affects their postwar lives in drastic ways. An example of this being Louis Zamperini, a WWII POW who spent nearly 2 years being tortured and abused in POW camps in Japan, his story recorded by Laura Hillenbrand in Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. After the war, Zamperini suffered from PTSD and alcoholism due to his abuse, which nearly destroyed him.
Serving in the military can be a very traumatic experience. War entails a lot of conflict, shootings, and bombings. About twelve percent of all veterans suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Also, twenty-three percent of women reported sexual assault while serving in the military, and fifty-five percent reported having experienced sexual harassment when in the military. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is not the only mental illness that these conditions have caused.
For instance, war veterans sometimes cannot view fireworks as it induces fear in them due to the sound of the explosions seeming like gun shots. In Slaughterhouse-Five, author Kurt Vonnegut, a former soldier in World War II, explores the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder by identifying the underlying causes, highlighting the impacts and symptoms of PTSD, and evaluating coping mechanisms. During a time period where post-traumatic stress disorder was still incredibly controversial, Vonnegut utilized the character of Billy Pilgrim to identify the causes of PTSD. The mental disorder can have many causes as explained in the article “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,” in which the National Institute of Mental Health states, “Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event.
The Vietnam War was very different from the past wars. There were a lot more cases of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) among soldiers than any other wars http://historyofptsd.umwblogs.org/vietnam/ . In ‘The Things They Carried’, a book about the Vietnam War written by Tim O’Brien, using the psychological lense can help us understand how wars can change a person’s mental state dramatically. It can show us what soldiers had to carry during the war, including intangibles, like fear and guilt. These men had to fight a war that the U.S. did not have to be involved in and it changed their whole life.
One of the big realities of war is the PTSD and lasting mental problems for soldiers after the war. “Ambush” by Tim O’Brien represents that, and backs up the reality of soldiers of the Vietnam war suffering from PTSD. Studies have found that “Veterans who
I really enjoyed reading your post – you’ve brought up some really good and crucial points. These soldiers have risked their lives to protect our county, so it is only right and fair for our country to provide them the services and treatment that they deserve if suffering from PTSD. I also agree with you over how we need to let these veterans know that it is absolutely normal to feel distressed about what they had to experience. We should definitely not belittle them or make them feel like they are being overdramatic. PTSD is a serious disorder and should not be taken lightly.
PTSD is a very serious condition; where people suffer from an illness created in their mind. PTSD is very common in the military. Most people develop this illness after coming home from war. PTSD could lead into very bad and traumatic incidents to themselves and their families. One instance of PTSD in the military is the famous case of Chris Kyle.
This article was about Andrew Brannan, a Vietnam veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”), who shot and killed 22 years old Deputy Kyle Dinkheller in Dublin Georgia. On January 12, 1998, Brannan was pulled over by Laurens County Sheriff Deputy Kyle Dinkheller for driving nearly 100 miles down a country road near Dublin, GA. Once pulled over, 66 year-old Brannan exited his truck and started screaming he was “a goddamn Vietnam veteran” and yelling profanities at Deputy Dinkheller. Then Brannan retrieved a rifle from his truck and fired several shot at Deputy Dinkheller. The deputy was able to return fire but was ultimately killed by Brannan.
8 percent of US adults will experience PTSD some point in their lives. “Those who experience the disaster most personally and directly seemed to be the ones most affected” (Barlow). PTSD is most common in veterans, survivors, and first responders. Women experience PTSD more often then men. 10 percent of women and 4 percent of men experience PTSD as a total population.
Lack of Government Support For Affected Veterans According to the article, “Government 's PTSD Treatment for Veterans, Lacking”, “They account for more than 75% of the roughly half a million VA patients receiving treatment for PTSD,” (Zarembo). Many veterans still continue to wait for their treatments, creating issues in their home life and even causing them to commit suicide. The 25% of the patients who are not treated suffer, this is where the government should come to play to help those people by providing more care and supporting the costs. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder should be better treated and better supported by the government to veterans because of the amount of soldiers waiting for treatment, lack of effectiveness in treatment,
PTSD is often an issue for military veterans after being through all the combat and things of war they have seen. It is not always the case though that people with PTSD have experienced a traumatic event in their lives like war though there can be other causes as well such as the death of a family member. PTSD and its symptoms usually begin quickly after the event that has triggered it or at least usually within the first three months. It is also possible though that the PTSD could occur years afterwards as well. To actually be considered PTSD the symptoms must be
However due to many viable treatments there is great hope for the victims moving forward in their lives. PTSD victims can be triggered when they see reminders of their experience of war. As PTSD keeps ravaging the lives of the victims it will draw more and more attention to not only the risks at war, but also the awful trauma vets go through after combat. When this becomes known it will become even more important to fight PTSD, because if we don’t people will question going into the military even more and the result could be
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that follows the experience of a traumatic event. Of the 2.7 million American veterans that served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, at least 20% were diagnosed with PTSD (Veterans Statistics). PTSD affects everyone differently but the most common symptoms of PTSD include: reliving the event, increased anxiety, and avoiding any reminders of the trauma (Robinson,Segal, Smith). These symptoms negatively affect their life
It may come and go over the years too. The significant impact of PTSD on the lives of veterans afflicted gives doctors a greater understanding of this illness. With knowledge about PTSD, returning veterans can seek the early diagnosis and treatment they need, giving them a chance to recover. Many veterans have spoken and stressed that the PTSD will never go away, even with treatment, group therapy, counseling, or medication. Awareness and understanding can also help and support the families.
