PTSD In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

762 Words4 Pages

PTSD is a mental disorder in which a person recovering or returning from a traumatic experience experiences very intense and frequent flashbacks, hallucinations both visual and auditory, and intense dreams or memories of the event disturbing them. This can cause people to lash out, panic, and act rashly due to the experiences they continue to recall. While many people have bad experiences and memories, some of these memories that have deeply shaken the person will change their worldview and experiences for years to come. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien details the experiences and memories that soldiers remember and are deeply rattled by, while a study by the European Journal of Psychotraumatology 8, states the effects and causes of ptsd, …show more content…

Most events causing ptsd include direct and intense witness or experience of human suffering, causing victims to relive the memories over and over, seldom able to be comfortable and feel safe due to the fears that the condition instills on people. These people are also easily triggered at specific objects, phrases, or anything that can be traced back to the memories, whether symbolic or direct. These items are referred to as triggers, and can be anything as they are specific to the person’s case, reasons, and fears. Those affected by ptsd can sometimes act rashly due to their perception of reality being warped by the memories that they face. Treatment for ptsd includes proper coping skills, dealing with other causes of stress, and treatment of mental disorders that will worsen the issues of ptsd. Cognitive and Exposure therapy are also very effective in recovering from ptsd. There is also a method which is called Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR combines exposure therapy with a series of guided eye movements that help you process traumatic memories and change how you react to them(Mayo …show more content…

The condition makes it extremely likely for them to lash out in fear, anger, or other strong emotions. If they sleep with the victim, they may be affected by the lack of sleep the victim is due to the severe night terrors that they have. A victim’s children may also be affected by ptsd, as the experience of watching a parent or guardian lash out, lose themselves, or act of sheer terror will affect the view of the parent, which can lead to strained relationships, subconscious resentment, and overall fear of their caretakers. “Numbness”, or inability to feel emotions is a major symptom of ptsd that can affect family members and caretakers. If a person is unable to be emotionally careful, responsive, or responsible, their mental state will become severely worse. If they are unable to care, they will not care for themselves, others, their environment, their work, or anything important to them. Because of this, it will render them unable to take care of friends, family, and even children. This causes even more harm to the victim, as they could feel useless or that they are a burden to those around them, inevitably worsening this already terrible