Ryan

Mental Illness as a Result of War

Nobody can truly imagine the harsh and cruel ways of war without experiencing it. The trauma, pressure, anxiety, and brutal ways of combat can affect the human mind. They include experiences that are outside the normal range of human experience. Many veterans from Word War II, the Korean War, the war in Vietnam, and the current combat in Afghanistan have developed psychological disorders because of battle. The most common is post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), also known as "shell shock." PTSD severity has changed throughout different wars and with the use of therapy or drugs, prevention and recovery methods have been proven effective.

The realities of war cannot be simply imagined in one’s head. The realities of being a soldier can "destroy the trustworthy and social order of the mind" (Shay 32). This can lead to a berserk state. PTSD can result after trauma occurs. Trauma is defined as an experience that the human mind cannot normally handle. There are several conditions that are necessary to be diagnosed with PTSD. The first is occurrence of a traumatic experience. . Combat and the threat of death, the death of friends, and the act of murder of enemies are some examples of war trauma. The second is the presence of flashbacks, which are described as uncontrollable memories, nightmares, and the re-experiencing the tragic event (Lindorff). The third is a state of solitude or avoidance of people, places, and other aspects associated with the event. The fourth condition of PTSD is increased arousal. This can cause sleep difficulties, edginess, and irritability (Frazer). The duration and severity of PTSD depends on the specific event and war that the soldier was involved in. About 30 percent of the men and woman who have been diagnosed with PTSD have been in combat (Messer).

PTSD affects the lives of war veterans and their families. Soldiers returning from combat find it difficult to adjust to civilian life immediately. Their instincts from battle stick with them. An increase in violence has been seen as a result. One Vietnam War veteran said, " I lost my all my friends, beat up my sister, went after my father. I mean, I just went after anybody and everything. Every three days I would totally explode, lose it for no reason" (Shay 32). The stress of war destroys the mind’s social trust, resulting in a paranoid or berserk state (Shay 32) and a survivor of these experiences tends to be "more easily provoked into releasing adrenaline" (Fellman). PTSD has even been partially blamed for 3 recent murders of soldiers’ wives by their spouses who had just returned from Afghanistan. An increase in drug and alcohol use has been seen in war veterans. Depression and suicide are other effects of PTSD. Many veterans think about suicide daily. Knowing that they have the freedom to do so, keeps them going until they have given up all of hope. (Shay 179) "Vietnam veterans assert that twice as many of their brethren have died by suicide since the war than died at the hand’s of the enemy (Shay 179). Traumatic events also can cause memory loss (Shay 72) and has been linked to heart damage as a result from reduced blood flow or an actual heart attack (Fackelmann).

The treatment and prevention of PTSD has changed throughout the years. However, the return to "normal" is not possible in this day of age. The doctors of the Civil War gave the soldiers opium to help them sleep, while addicting them to the dangerous drug. During World War I and II, electroshock therapy was used on the Germans to override the soldiers’ fears from shell shock. (PsychAssault.org). Today, there are many different medications that can help relieve the anxiety symptoms of PTSD. Behavioral, congnitive-behavoral, and exposure therapy have been proven effective with treating PTSD patients (Point). These methods cannot guarantee a cure for PTSD, but rather help the patient deal with their problems, by changing their attitudes. For example, there is no way to cure flashbacks (Shay 7), so patients must learn how to think and feel when they are having one. This change in attitude and reaction can help them make it less traumatic. PTSD prevention is also being researched. When soldiers returned home by boat from World War II and the Korean War, they had time to prepare for civilized life, unlike the soldiers in Vietnam. Canadian Combat troops from Afghanistan stop in Guam to unwind and attend sessions with psychologists, social workers, and other stress specialists (Brickner).

PTSD severity varies from war to war. PTSD was very high Vietnam veterans, more so than any other American war. This was because of many different changes. For one, most men were 19 years old compared to the average 26 years old seen in other wars (Keunning 22). Their training taught them to sight, aim, and shoot as fast as they could. This caused the death of innocent women and children, which had an affect on the soldiers. They returned home and were called murderers and were abandoned. This created even more stress for the soldier to deal with. World War II did not see has many PTSD victims, but the duration of the syndrome in WWII veterans was greater. This was because many veterans did not seek medical help after the war. The veterans of this era were very independent and self sufficient, and were reluctant to seek professional help. (Lindorff).

PTSD is one of numerous effects of the harsh, crude, and barbaric ways of combat. It can affect the lives of not only veterans, but also their families as well throughout their whole existence. Though a cure is not yet reality at this time, some treatments of therapy and medications are widely available to help veterans with this irreversible illness.