Title: Fighting the War at Home Thesis: The war overseas, but there are millions of veterans still fighting the war at home. Personal Story: Even though I’ve been home from the war for over a year, I still feel like I am in full combat, fighting a war, here in my own home. Try as I may, it’s not something that is explainable and even if it was explainable, no one would understand unless they saw and experienced what I did. My mind plays tricks on me. One minute I feel sane and another minute I feel like the rug was pulled out from under me and I can’t find my footing. Is my enemy myself? Is what I am experiencing fixable? I have only heard the horror stories of those experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, am I really one of those horror stories? Why am I still running and from whom? It’s a war of shadows, one that no one seems to really understand. A war of anger and anxiety fought in my mind. Just like in the wars I fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, I don’t know who the enemy is. Now that I am home, I am surrounded by family and friends. I have a wife and children. I see them, and hear them. They are right here in my life, just as I wished every single day while at war, but now even though I see them and hear them, I …show more content…
Symptoms of PTSD that veterans experience are irritability or outbursts of anger, sleep disturbance, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and emotional distress when reminded of the trauma. Margaret’s article explains these symptoms of PTSD and how exposed veterans are to this. “Combat veterans typically report symptoms in all these areas. In addition, the effects of combat-related PTSD appear to be long lasting” (2). The health of veterans is clearly an issue, but when making the choice to be in the service you risk countless amounts of things in order to fight for the country you
In "In Back From War,But Not Really Home" by Caroline Alexander, and "The Odyssey by homer both experience grief in their characters . survival , hope , and pain are the themes in the literature pieces .
Individuals demonstrate PTSD with symptoms, such as: flashbacks, severe paranoia, insomnia, social isolation, self destructive behavior, emotional detachment, fear, severe anxiety, and etc. According to statistics, individuals with severe PTSD are at high risk for committing suicide. Veterans are more prone to this disorder due to the fact that they are emotionally unstable and have difficulties re-adjusting to a normal life once they come back from combat.
A war that still comes to mind and appears in people’s conversation today is the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War started November 1, 1955 and ended April 1, 1975. This war involved the United States, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, New Zealand, and Thailand. The people who didn’t experience the war might wonder what it was like, what were the soldiers duties, how did the soldiers act, or even how did the soldiers survive the war. Tim O’Brien who wrote a short story that is called “The Things They Carried”, is a story that involves soldiers who are in Vietnam. In his story he writes about a Lieutenant named Jimmy Cross and his passion about a woman named Martha and how he becomes a better lieutenant for his men during the war.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), originally associated with combat, has always been around in some shape or form but it was not until 1980 that it was named Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and became an accredited diagnosis (Rothschild). The fact is PTSD is one of many names for an old problem; that war has always had a severe psychological impact on people in immediate and lasting ways. PTSD has a history that is as long and significant as the world’s war history - thousands of years. Although, the diagnosis has not been around for that long, different names and symptoms of PTSD always have been. Some physical symptoms include increased blood pressure, excessive heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension, nausea, diarrhea, problems with vision, speech, walking disorders, convulsive vomiting, cardiac palpitations, twitching or spasms, weakness and severe muscular cramps. The individual may also suffer from psychological symptoms, such as violent nightmares, flashbacks, melancholy, disturbed sleep or insomnia, loss of appetite, and anxieties when certain things remind them such as the anniversary date of the event (Peterson, 2009).
Afghanistan Veterans” helps support my thesis due to the fact most that veterans from the
Imagine living in despair after coming back home, dismayed from a war that got no appreciation. Robert Kroger once said in his quote, “The brave men and women, who serve their country and as a result, live constantly with the war inside them, exist in a world of chaos. But the turmoil they experience isn’t who they are, the PTSD invades their minds and bodies.” Eleven percent of Vietnam Veterans still suffer with symptoms of the terrifying disorder of PTSD (Handwerk). Vietnam Veterans struggle with the physiological effects of PTSD after war, which leads to despair and many deaths.
As men and women serve this country we often forget the importance of what they did and how we give back to them for what they have experienced. Through student surveys that have been gathered, it has been proven in the course of knowledge that 80% of all thirty students surveyed that say they know of someone who is or was a veteran and only 57% of those Veterans receive help. Richelle E. Goodrich stated, “Have you ever stopped to ponder the amount of blood spilt, the volume of tears shed, the degree of pain and anguish endured, the number of noble men a...
PTSD is defined as mental health disorder triggered by a terrifying event (Mayoclinic). This ordeal could be the result of some sort of physical harm or threat to the individual, family members, friends or even strangers. (NIMH) While PTSD is typically associated with someone who has served in the military, it can affect more than just that genre of individuals. It could affect rape victims, victims in a terrorist or natural disaster incident, nurses, doctors, and police and fire personnel and bystanders. PTSD can manifest itself in many forms. The primary signs and symptoms of PTSD include but are not limited to re-experiencing symptoms (flashbacks, bad dreams, frightening thoughts), avoidance of places, situations, or events that may cause those memories to resurface, and hyperarousal symptoms (easily startled, feeling tense or on edge) (NIMH). Other symptoms may include not having positive or loving feelings toward other people, staying away from relationships, may forget about parts of the traumatic event or not be able to talk about them, may think the world is completely dangerous, and no one can be trusted.
The veterans were majorly affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because they watched their comrades die right in front of them and had flashbacks of when their comrades fell. PTSD affects the brain of the soldiers that witnessed traumatic events(The VVA Veterans, web). They can have invasive memories. They can also end up with seizures. The seizures will come with a lot of anxiety or stress related from war memories. The seizures would come into play when they are having an anxiety attack or the memories. The doctors did not know how to stop the seizures at first till a year later from the soldiers being home or the doctors wouldnt diagnose the soldiers with them.
Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one wink because every time you close your eyes you are forced to relive memories from the past that you are trying to bury deep. This is what happens to the unfortunate men and women who are struggling with PTSD. Veterans that are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder deserve the help they need.
Over the past fifteen years Americas finest warriors have been sent all over the world battling the war on terror. According to the President, the wars and battles are now over. Due to the Presidents lack of combat experience, he fails to realise that the battles still continue. These battles are not in Afghanistan, Iraq, or any other country, the battles are in the minds of those combat Veterans. These Veterans are and will continue to relive those battles in their minds for the rest of their lives. This battle is the battle for inner peace, sanity, and a good night’s sleep. Doctors have related this disorder to a release of a chemical cocktail in the brain and have coined this battle PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). If PTSD is related to a release of chemical cocktail in the brain, then pre-war vulnerabilities, combat, , and post-war re-experiences are triggers that release that cocktail and cause Veterans to get PTSD.
There are a large number of symptoms of PTSD. The Veterans symptoms can be identical to those symptoms experienced when the actual trauma was occurring (Panzarino). "[symptoms include] May be prone to insomnia, irritability, or outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating, and an exaggerated startled response when shocked" (USA Today Magazine). Michael Wheeler, a Vietnam veteran, is divorced because of PTSD, he was having thoughts of suicide, he couldn't handle life, he thought he was going crazy (Block, Norris). More symptoms are night terrors (dreams), flashbacks, and recurrent/intrusive thoughts of traumatic events (USA Today Magazine). "Many PTSD sufferers develop depression and anxiety or obsessive/compulsive disorder, in addition to alcohol or drug problems" (USA Today Magazine).
Post-Traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric disorder that may develop after one has been a victim or witness of a traumatic event (What is PTSD). Men and women who served in the Vietnam War were vulnerable to many acts of violence and death such as guerilla warfare. After being discharged from the Armed Forces, they may experience flashbacks when a trigger brings back a memory or they may also suffer from nightmares or insomnia due to specific rattling experiences (Riley, Julie). Not being able to sleep can have some deteriorating effects on the body which can make life after war very hard to adjust to. The transfer of the Armed Forces back home life can be somewhat of a culture shock. However, anyone can develop PTSD. A person who has been a victim of abuse, an unexpected death/accident, or even a survivor of a natural disaster is at risk of being diagnosed with this disorder (Mental Health America). They may experience some symptoms of; depression, irritability, insomnia, flashbacks, they may complain of headaches or stomach pain, and may become reserved (Riley, Julie). These indicatio...
When I was seventeen I nervously traveled about 350 miles from my sleepy little home town of Freedom, Wyoming to the relatively enormous city of Boise, Idaho to go to the Military Entrance Processing Station. This wasn 't the first time I had been this far from home by myself, but it was the first time I was making adult decisions without my parents involvement. When it came time for me to choose my job in the army the counselors presented me with a long list that I qualified for. I got tired of scrolling and reading so I chose the first job that I actually understood. I returned home and excitedly told my parents that I would be an infantry soldier. My dad 's response to this might be considered a little less than heart warming “You dumb ass. Why didn 't you choose
John Caussin. "The Vietnam War and a Veteran's Analysis in Hindsight." American Century Project. D. Wiedenmayer. 2004. June 6, 2007 .