Being in war is definitely one of the most life changing events a person will ever have whether it be for the better or for the worst. Soldiers will witness events that are impossible to forget or see back at home in the states. Some soldiers may have even seen one of their best friends that they’ve known for forever get blown up into pieces right next to them, or they might even get one of their own limbs blown off of their own bodies, becoming handicapped for life. As a result of seeing something so intense like that, most soldiers are usually traumatized. In matter of fact, a great amount of soldiers are traumatized from the very beginning of being in war. It’s without a doubt difficult to deal with this but there are some ways where soldiers are able to cope with being psychologically traumatized as well as physical burdens that they have been carrying. In Tim O’Brien’s entitled The Things They Carried, he describes to us a diverse group of people whom he met throughout the throughout his tour that has their own approach on coping with the harsh environment of the Vietnam War.
There are numerous things that can happen to a person that goes to war such as getting shot, loss of hearing, getting sexually assaulted by other so called “friendly soldiers”, or even getting body parts blown apart from their body. There’s a long list of possible things that can be added to that list, but what all of the things can lead up to is post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety sickness that surfaces after experiencing a very dangerous, frightening, and uncontrollable event such as military combat exposure, a violent crime, a life-threatening accident and so forth (Veterans Health Council)...
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...n has been through when he was in Vietnam War. Even though it is represented as that, the stories that he tells has a much deeper meaning to it. It gives us, the readers, descriptions of how a few people coped with the unforgettable things they have endured and seen during their time in the war. O’Brien gives us various examples of just that, as well as his own. His reason for writing this novel was that this was a type of therapy for himself as a way to deal with everything he had experienced during the Vietnam War.
Works Cited
O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. London: Flamingo, 1991. Print.
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"Veterans Health Council." Veterans Health Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
... platoon member’s everyday lives. Also it shows how relative the Vietnam war is to modern day war conflicts. The fact that Tim O’Brien lived through those events taking place in the Vietnam War, help guide him to go farther in than most other authors to describe in first person detail of what occurred during that war, and how the Vietnam War is in relation to current wars.
A Vietnam War veteran experienced many gruesome and horrifying events during their time of serving the army. Seeing such horrifying things affected their mental and emotional thinking “PTSD is defined as a re-experience of a traumatic event, for example, flashbacks. Anything can trigger a flashback a click, a movement, anything associated with the past event” (Cruz). Seeing such horrifying things affected their mental and emotional thinking. A soldier was told to forget what they saw and basically move on from it, but it only made it worse. Having everything “bottled up” makes it even harder to treat PTSD. U.S. soldiers had to live with the disorder on their own without any help. “The veterans experience combat related nightmares, anxiety, anger, depression, alcohol and/or drug dependency, all are symptoms of PTSD” (Begg). The symptoms occurred over long periods of time when that person has been in certain situations that he or she was not ready to be in. Some of these situations including the Vietnam veterans not feeling like their unit was together or united. “Soldiers were sent into replace other soldiers, which caused the other members of the group to make fun or haze them. The unit never developed as much loyalty to each other as they should have” (Paulson and Krippner). “Many of...
The impact of the Vietnam War upon the soldiers who fought there was huge. The experience forever changed how they would think and act for the rest of their lives. One of the main reasons for this was there was little to no understanding by the soldiers as to why they were fighting this war. They felt they were killing innocent people, farmers, poor hard working people, women, and children were among their victims. Many of the returning soldiers could not fall back in to their old life styles. First they felt guilt for surviving many of their brothers in arms. Second they were haunted by the atrocities of war. Some soldiers could not go back to the mental state of peacetime. Then there were soldiers Tim O’Brien meant while in the war that he wrote the book “The Things They Carried,” that showed how important the role of story telling was to soldiers. The role of stories was important because it gave them an outlet and that outlet was needed both inside and outside the war in order to keep their metal state in check.
Friedman, Mathew J., MD, PhD. "PTSD History and Overview." PTSD: National Center for PTSD. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 31 Jan. 2007. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.
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).
As a first hand observer of the Civil War, the great American Poet, Walt Whitman once said,"The real war [of the mind] will never get in the books."Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a horrible mental ailment that afflicts thousands of soldiers every year. Besides the fact that it is emotionally draining for the soldier, it also deeply alters their family and their family dynamics. Ernest Hemingway’s “Soldier's Home” illustrates how this happens. Harold Krebs returns home from World War I. He has to deal with becoming reaccustomed to civilian life along with relearning social norms. He must also learn about his family and their habits. The ramifications of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have a ripple effect on the lives of not only the victim, but also the friends and family they relate to.
Many of them will have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and some will even commit suicide because of their fear and paranoia from being in combat. PTSD is a mental health condition that is caused by living through a traumatic event. Symptoms of PTSD are flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety, though there are many more. For example, here is a quote from Fallen Angels: "The noise was terrible. Every time a mortar went off, I jumped. I couldn’t help myself. The noise went into you. It touched part of you that were small and frightened and wanting your mommy." (Myers, 244) This quote shows how terrifying war can be for the young soldiers; Perry is showing early signs of PTSD. At least 30% of Vietnam veterans have suffered from PTSD after being deployed. Additionally, 85% of those diagnosed still suffer from PTSD, even 30 years after the war ended. Unfortunately, the soldiers who suffer from PTSD will never be the same as they were before 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.
Military Pathway (2013) concluded “Military life, especially the stress of deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult”. Hence, it is not surprising that soldiers returning from a stressful war environment often suffer from a psychological condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This paper provides a historical perspective of PTSD affecting soldiers, and how this illness has often been ignored. In addition, the this paper examines the cause and diagnosis of the illness, the changes of functional strengths and limitations, the overall effects this disease may have on soldiers and their families, with a conclusion of possible preventative measures and treatment options. All of these findings are backed by extensive research through media, web, and journal references.
“You can’t take a 19-year-old brain and subject it to the constant threat of death or injury by rocket fire and expect it not to be affected.” (Roy, 2016, para 1) this quote is a perfect description of how most American Soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War at a young age experienced PTSD. This was caused by automatic, uncontrollable flashbacks on their war experiences and their reception upon returning home. The Things They Carried depicts a combination of documentary novel created by a Vietnam war veteran, Tim O’brien, who has encountered many graphical situations which caused Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Every day a man comes home from war. Most having left their families as boys or young men trained in tactics and combat but never being trained effectively on stress management or the dangers of PTSD. Going into war soldiers are instructed to choke it down and bury it deep. Once introduced back into civilian life, where emotions are acceptable and tactics are not the answer, how do these men survive? How do they learn to cope? And most importantly how does the U.S. government train them for the next portion of their lives? In October of 2001 Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, OIF, began and since then over 1.8 million troops have served at least one term ("PTSD in Service Members and New Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars," 2009). The Veterans population has increased immensely since the war began in 2001 and the type of warfare witnessed is much different than that of any other previous war.
National Center for PTSD. (2010) PTSD in Children and Teens. Retrieved April 27th, 2011 from
Our soldiers not only risked life and limb for our country while serving in the Vietnam War, but they continue to suffer immensely. Americans as well as Vietnamese troops and civilians suffered great losses when it comes to casualties. Witnessing first-hand the pain and death of strangers and allies, isn’t something one is likely to forget. Post-Traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been one of the many repercussions of witnessing these gruesome events (Mental Health America). Veterans, their families, and the government have come together in combat in attempts to address the detrimental effects of PTSD.
Throughout history there have been records of soldiers experiencing ‘shell shock,’ ‘battle fatigue,’ ‘gross stress reaction,’ and ‘soldier’s heart.’ The soldiers who suffered from these combat induced physiological traumas were branded as cowards, and removed from positions, reprimanded and even court marshaled. Vietnam veterans began to experience similar ailments immediately following the war. This new surge of afflicted soldiers forced the public as well as medical professionals and government officials to take notice of what is now ...
American Veterans experienced war-related trauma in Vietnam.(Friedman, 1998) The war traumas included being on frequent or prolonged combat missions in enemy territory, encountering ambushes and...