The Frontline video titled, “A Soldier’s Heart” describes what life is like as a soldier with mental illness. In the video you take a look at multiple lives that were affected by the negative conditions that derive from being enlisted in the war. The video begins by taking a look at the life of Rob Sarra, an Iraq War veteran. He described how an event that took place during the war, affected his life dramatically. Before going into combat one day, his unit was warned that there were suicide bombers in the area, and to be on the lookout for them. So when a woman appeared, walking with a bag under her arm, his initial reaction was to either kill her or be killed. She continued to walk toward a vehicle of soldiers, after they ordered her to stop. Rob then continued to aim his gun and take the shot. After he took the shot, the Marine’s near by continued to unload their weapons on the woman also. However, when all was said and done he came to the realization that what she was holding was not a bomb, but a white flag. Instantly, he was surrounded by guilt and shame because he was the reason for the death of a civilian. Rob decided …show more content…
One of the more common reasons includes, being viewed as weak. Some soldiers believe that if they show any signs of weakness, they will be considered a failure to their country or to the military. Andrew Pomerantz, chief of mental health services for the VA, sheds some light on this issue, “Many people simply either fear being exposed as a weakling, which certainly impacts on the military culture of strength, or actually fear retribution and punishment if they express psychological distress” (Aronson, 2014). Along with being viewed as incapable, soldiers who reveal that they have symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and seek treatment for it, are at a greater chance of being forced to end their
PBS’ Frontline film “The Wounded Platoon” reviews the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers as they return home and transition back into civilian life, focusing particularly on the rise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among American military members from Fort Carson Army base (Edge, 2010). Incidents of PTSD have risen dramatically in the military since the beginning of the Iraq war and military mental health policies and treatment procedures have adapted to manage this increase (Edge, 2010). In “The Wounded Platoon,” many military personnel discuss how PTSD, and other mental health struggles, have been inadequately treated (if at all) by military mental health services. Reasons and Perdue’s definition of a social problem allows us to see inadequate treatment of PTSD among returning United States military members as a social problem because it is a condition affecting a significant number of people in undesirable ways that can be remedied through collective action (Reasons & Perdue, 1981).
Tim O'Brien, a Vietnam war vet, had similar experiences as the soldier above. Even though O'Brien didn't die, the war still took away his life because a part of him will never be the same. Even in 1995, almost thirty years after the war, O'Brien wrote, "Last night suicide was on my mind. Not whether, but how. Tonight it will be on my mind again... I sit in my underwear at this unblinking fool of a computer and try to wrap words around a few horrid truths" (Vietnam 560). 1 think that O'Brien is still suffering from what he experienced in Vietnam and he uses his writing to help him deal with his conflicts. In order to deal with war or other traumatic experiences, you sometimes just have to relive the experiences over and over. This is what O'Brien does with his writing; he expresses his emotional truths even if it means he has to change the facts of the literal truth.
While all of the soldiers carried things, this story gives an awareness of not only the physical facet of war, but the emotional side equally. That is to say that both post-traumatic stress disorder and physical disabilities are issues that many soldiers have to deal with once they return home from war. Mental health effects on veterans can vary person to person. Events like witnessing a member of your unit be killed, or having to kill someone yourself can be extremely traumatizing.... ...
“Wounded Platoon” is a documentary that delves into the severe effects of tours and post-traumatic stress on young individuals in the U.S. Army. This documentary mainly focuses on the psychological aspect of PTSD and the effects of war on the soldiers. However, looking at it from a sociological approach, it’s clear to see the role of group dynamics, teams and leadership in the behaviors of soldiers prior to their discharge from the war front.
War is dangerous; however it does more than injure you physically. “The Sniper” shows how war’s effects on the mind can be just as if not more harmful than its physical effects. The psychological effects of war can change a man and last a lifetime.
Post traumatic stress disorder to most people is a soldier that has just come back from
Wars affect everyone in some way, especially soldiers who fight in them, like those in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried. O 'Brien concentrates a lot on the psychological trauma that solders, like himself, confronted before, during, and after the Vietnam War. He also focuses on how they coped with the brutality of war. Some were traumatized to the point where they converted back to primitive instinct. Others were traumatized past the breaking point to where they contemplated suicide and did not fit in. Finally, some soldiers coped through art and ritual.
When civilians look at the men and women in the military, they think of strength, courage, and freedom. When those same men and women get out, civilians should treat them with respect, honor, and dignity. In their own minds however, it may be a different story. A loss of strength, a lack of courage, and a never-ending battle within that keeps them all but free. In the music video “Wrong Side of Heaven”, FFDP successfully argues that homeless veterans and veterans with PTSD need assistance. Through the use of visual aspects, literary devices, and symbolism, FFDP shows that their music video holds a strong argument.
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.
War is no child 's play, but unfortunately, we have had times in our past when the youth of our great nation had to defend it. Combat is not an easy for anyone; watching death, the constant ring of gunfire, the homesickness, fearing for your life, and witnessing bloodshed daily, this will begin to take its toll. The minds threshold for brutality can only handle so much and eventually will become sickened by these events. This sickness is called Post-traumatic stress disorder. As shown through the characters of The Things They Carried, soldiers of war may begin to show PTSD symptoms before the war is over, and may continue to fight the disorder after the war has ended.
In Brian Turner’s poem “Jundee Ameriki” (American soldier), he gives gruesome details of a situation that triggered posttraumatic stress disorder in a soldier of war. The poem, written in 2009, addresses a suicide bombing which occurred during the War on Iraq in November of 2005. At first the poem shares the events of his doctor’s visit. While getting the shrapnel fragments removed, the soldier is quickly reminded of the horrific events that led to the injury. The poem then begins to describe the emotional effects of posttraumatic stress disorder. The narrator uses symbolism and the structure of the poem to demonstrate how the emotional pain of posttraumatic stress disorder is much greater than the physical pain it causes (even if the emotional
War has been a constant part of human history. It has greatly affected the lives of people around the world. These effects, however, are extremely detrimental. Soldiers must shoulder extreme stress on the battlefield. Those that cannot mentally overcome these challenges may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sadly, some resort to suicide to escape their insecurities. Soldiers, however, are not the only ones affected by wars; family members also experience mental hardships when their loved ones are sent to war. Timothy Findley accurately portrays the detrimental effects wars have on individuals in his masterpiece The Wars.
I would recommend this book to a friend because the reader is able to comprehend different aspects of the war. This novel is written in an upfront style, which makes it easy for the reader to follow along. I am thinking about including something about how war gives soldiers mental disorders for my thesis argument. I would like to write about the mental health of our troops for my research paper. I intend to focus on psychological disorders and mental illness.
Every American soldier endured rigorous training to become the soldier they are today, but throughout all this training, there are a few things that a soldier can't simply learn. Training and development is treated as preparation for war situations, and much like ordinary grade school, they are tested to see how well each soldier does in each area (Huerta, 2014). Even after all this organizing and teaching, a soldier's mind is still just as human as it was before seeing action in battle. Once a soldier learns to control every situation imaginable, they are sent overseas to put all their training to use; but simulations can only get you so far. At some point, there is a moment when a soldier will step out of his or her body and truly realize how far from home they are, and that the violence of war is just a way of their new daily life. At this point "a soldier is considered dirty" (Phillips, 2014). Although for a soldier this sounds like a step in the right direction in this particular line of work, it's really a step down a dark path, and part of the soldier will never return. Now American soldiers are haunted by the negative psychological effects resulting in the harsh symptoms of PTSD (Posttraumatic stress disorder) as seen in Jarhead's main character Anthony Swofford.
One of the article’s many main points state that men and women who have served in combat often have side effects such as mental health from experience of the war. It does not matter if they did serve in active duty or only served in military occupations, either way they are still affected. In this article Mr. Hoglund and Mrs. Schwartz perform multiple polls and research that help sustain their point of view to compare the men and women who suffer in it and to the civilians’ mental health. With these three comparisons of choice it helps to open the audience’s eyes, such as experts or even a general audience who have loved ones serving, about the side affects that come with war. Studies of military personnel deployed veterans of war have investigated gender differences in the association between combat exposure and/ or war zone deployment and...