Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Post Vietnam War

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It is common knowledge that with every war, there always comes casualties. Soldiers can lose an arm or a leg, or even their life when they go to war. Unfortunately soldiers can even lose their minds because of war. Specifically, this research paper will focus on PTSD, or in other words: post traumatic stress disorder. PTSD has shown up as a factor from many wars, but for some reason, one war in particular stands out from all others regarding the the PTSD numbers. It is called the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War (1956-1975) was part of the cold war. The US wanted to prevent Vietnam from becoming a communist country, so after Vietnam split into a north and south, they began to support South Vietnam. The US thought that if Vietnam were to “fall” to communism, all of southeast Asia would follow. The US soon began to fight the invisible phantoms of the Vietnamese Jungles, known as the Vietcong. The Vietcong used guerilla style tactics, blending into normal civilian life. Unable to distinguish Vietcong from civilian, the US forces ended up killing many of both. Obviously killing people can cause PTSD, but this happens in all wars. The question remains: why did veterans suffer from PTSD more from the Vietnam war than other wars? There are many theories as to why this is the case. However, this paper will be focusing on one theory. The negative opinion from the public about the Vietnam war had a direct effect on the number of PTSD cases after the war. Although the Vietnam war was fought in extremely brutal weather and natural conditions, the public opinion regarding the war took a toll on the poor veterans just as much so, if not more. However, to truly understand how PTSD works, it must be looked at in detail.
PTSD (Post Traumatic S...

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...tp://winoverptsd.com/wp/category/disturbing-facts-about-vietnam-veterans/.

Sitikoff, Harvard. “The Postwar Impact of Vietnam.” English.illinois.edu. 1999. Accessed May 21, 2014. http://www.eturabian.com/turabian/school_Website.html.

Susan James, “Suicide Rates Spike in Vietnam Vets Who Won't Seek Help,”
ABC news, May 3, 2012, accessed April 24, 2014, http://abcnews.go.com/Health/vietnam-vets-highest-rates-suicide-alongisde-baby-boomers/story?id=19100593.

Steve Twedt, “Study Finds That Viet Vets Suffer More Than Nonvets,”
Chicago Tribune, June 26, 1986, accessed April 24, 2014, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-06-26/features/8602150694_1_non-veterans-nightmares-study.

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