The Things They Carried Research Essay Have you ever thought about the problems soldiers face after they return from a war? When Tony Arellano came back from the Vietnam War he struggled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), alcoholism, and trouble assimilating back to civilian life. This is quite common. There are thousands of people who struggle with this problem across the country. War can have detrimental effects on a person’s life through PTSD, alcoholism, and trouble adjusting to civilian life. PTSD can affect one's emotional and mental state, causing them to have problems when they return from a war. When asked about what work he did after coming back from the war, Tony Arellano replied, “So I started working in an explosive …show more content…
When Tony was asked about his feelings after the war, he replied, “And that was my intent; I was gonna party before I got home. I didn’t stop when I got home; it just continued. I continued to party. I did give a shit. You’re dead. I don’t know if you’ve heard this before – don’t mean nothin’ attitude. It’s a Vietnam thing. It don’t mean nothin’ cuz we don’t know if tomorrow is. And just didn’t care.”(Arellano). This is troubling because a lot of veterans didn't care about their life after wars because they just wanted to have fun. This periodical studied the effects of war on veterans and their ability to reintegrate into society, it found, “Of veterans surveyed in Los Angeles, 61 percent reported a need for educational assistance, which mirrors their reported need for employment assistance (65 percent). Although higher education is a logical path to post military employment, it can also be the source of unexpected frustrations. Veterans’ physical and mental health concerns can impede their success in school – particularly when these problems compound challenges familiar to all students.”(Zogas). This is a problem because if they don’t have a job they will go into debt and will have an increased chance of being homeless. Even though veterans have programs to help them after they return from war. They still struggle with many problems like alcoholism, PTSD, and trouble reintegrating into