Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In The Three Day Road

PTSD is a psychological disorder that most commonly affects those who have been through a traumatic experience. Furthermore PTSD can affect anyone, though it’s most commonly associated with soldiers and first responders. In Three Day Road both Xavier and Elijah suffer this and is identified from their actions during and after the war. Finally PTSD comes in a variety of symptoms that can affect anyone who have survived a traumatizing experience. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a psychological disorder that is brought about after encountering a traumatic experience. This disorder can vary between mild and extreme severity in symptoms and effect on the suffering patient. It’s caused by hyper aroused state in the brain, using a magnetoencephalography

A sad example of a first responder who was diagnosed with PTSD is Corporal Ron Francis; he was ultimately wronged in the handling of his disorder, and “much more could have and should have been done to help” (CBC news, Call to Action). Francis was a decorated RCMP officer who responded to many calls of distress around New Brunswick; he saw many accidents that left an impact on him and his mental health, as a result, he had developed PTSD and would often experience anxiety and relive some of his more traumatizing moments. Afterward he would experience trouble in functioning and performing his duties as an RCMP officer, following these troubles he sought out help for his condition and was prescribed medical marijuana to cope with these symptoms and perform his duties. Francis was able to return to a semi normal life with the use of his prescription, but as time passed, he was building up immunity towards the drug and had to smoke more and this is what led to the controversy surrounding Ron Francis and his life. Since he had a prescription the RCMP allowed him to remain an officer while taking the drugs, but he could not use the substance while in uniform, due to the immunity he had to smoke more frequently and in uniform. He was caught on camera smoking pot and was wrongly punished for getting treatment for his disorder.

Xavier has many of the symptoms that is associated with PTSD and this has a drastic effect on his actions during and after the war, as well as his recovery. His most notable symptom is his drug addiction, as he is recovering in the hospital to when he returns to Niska he needs morphine to survive and he believes that he “will not be able to live without it” (11.3). Xavier has a lot of trouble to adjusting to the terrible aspects of war, the brutal and gory things are what send him down a dark path and led to his shellshock syndrome. Throughout the war Xavier goes about without really being noticed, “A brown ghost” (65.3), Xavier like many others with PTSD are solidarity and withdrawn people. Many of the people that experience PTSD relive the horrifying experience that caused the disorder, Xavier relives a lot of the horrors from his time in the Great War as he makes his way home. Re-experiencing all this makes sleeping nearly impossible for him, it impedes his ability to heal both mentally and physically, and overall makes him sicker. Xavier is experiencing shell shock from his time in the war; he is seeing his dead friends, becoming addicted to morphine and is very withdrawn towards Niska and a lot of