Long Way Gone And PTSD

“My mind is on fire as I fear that any second, another enemy round will rip into my body and finish me off” (Johnson 2). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) effects the lives of many soldiers after returning home from war. PTSD is a psychiatric condition described in the DSM-IV as, a condition that requires a specific event to have occurred as a criterion for the diagnosis. The criteria for this disorder, according to the book Combat Trauma, can include flashbacks, times where you feel as if you are reliving the traumatic event, shame or guilt, upsetting dreams about the traumatic event, trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event, feeling emotionally numb or not feeling at all, anger or irritability, poor or destructive relationships, self-destructive behavior, trouble sleeping, memory problems, hallucinations, not enjoying activities you one enjoyed and feeling as if you no longer know who is living your day-to-day life.

In the story “The Things They Carried” the author Tim O’Brien uses powerful imagery, figurative language and repetition to spread his message. O’Brien’s reason behind telling the story was to show the way the Vietnam war was, and to remind society of those forgotten soldiers that gave their lives for their country. The Vietnam war was a pointless war for the U.S to be involved in, and many young men were sent to Vietnam, regardless of any feelings of negativity they may have had about the war. Many of the participants of the war was under the impression that it was wrong to be sent to war as it was basically a death sentence. Unfortunately, no one realized that the young

When most people of think of war, they generally think of the glorified aspects. Love and violence. Or perhaps their minds are drawn to an image of a soldier’s homecoming: A father embracing his son, crying tears of joy, all while the solider relays his experiences of the war among celebratory decorations. He is now considered a hero. But what difficulties has he faced to get there? This is the side of war that many of us don’t recognize. In the memoir, A Long Way Gone, author and protagonist, Ishmael Beah, experiences civil war and its effects first hand when he is forced into becoming a child soldier in the poor third world country of Sierra Leone. As the novel progresses, Ishmael becomes increasingly addicted to drugs,

It is often said that loss of innocence is an essential part of the process of growing up. Usually, it is a personal experience, happening at unique rates for every individual; however, time and time again a case occurs where this change is experienced collectively. Timothy Findley’s novel, The Wars, tells the story of such an occurrence. The reader witnesses the horrors of the First World War through the eyes of Robert Ross, a young man who enlists in the army to escape a troubled home life. Along with several companions he meets during his tour of duty, Robert is subjected to a sequence of events that cause them all to realize that the world is a much uglier place than they had known it to be. Following his first kill in the trenches and

Over the past few decades, the war changed everyone’s perspective. According to NCBI, 61% civilians suffer from psychological disorders caused by wars. Specifically, two books, Night and Persepolis, talks about the author experiences during the war and their struggles. Elie Wiesel, the author of Night, documents his childhood when he was maltreated by the Nazis, and Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis, share her experiences during the Iraq-Iran war of how it change her. War changes childhood because of near-death experiences, family departure, and witness horrific acts of violence.

Military service members who are and have been deployed to the middle east show high levels of emotional distress and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Both active duty and reserve component soldiers who have experienced combat have been exposed to high levels of traumatic stress. As a consequence, many have gone on to develop a wide range of mental health problems such as PTSD. “According to researchers, PTSD is a long-term reaction to war-zone exposure that can last up to a few minutes, hours, several weeks, and for some a lifetime.” Common symptoms include: emotional numbing, anxiety, feelings of guilt, and depression. If the disorder turns chronic veterans may experience functional impairment (Friedman, M. J. et al., 1994, p.

War survivors are perceived as brave and thought to be able to face anything. Taking a look at a soldier, someone might notice scars and burn marks on them. But what they can’t see is the internal damage a war might have taken on a soldier, i.e. PTSD. Anybody who’s ever lived with someone who had PTSD experiences a difficult life; avoiding certain interactions, anger/guilt, addiction, alienation, and discourage are feelings and actions that a family must go through. Life is even more difficult for the person who has PTSD; flashbacks, palpitation, nightmares, social anxiety, and hyper

Some people think going to war is fun, getting to have guns and drive tanks. But logical kids know war isn’t all that exciting. You can get killed, your country can get bombed and you have to worry about new things like rationing money and food. In the historical fiction novel My Brother Sam Is Dead by the Collier brothers, we learn that war can divide and destroy individuals, families and communities.

When soldiers get deployed the main goal is for them to complete their duties and make it back to home just like they left. Getting back home in one piece includes what is inside as well, the brain. The complex system that runs everything from your emotions, anxiety, optimism, pain management and impulse control is shaken up by extreme experiences like exposure to death or dreadful experiences. War veterans may experience flashbacks, nightmares, intense anxiety, panic attacks, depression and self-destructive thoughts or actions long after the trauma has occurred. The cause of this is because the neural pathways in the brain have actually been damaged and transformed by that experience, this is called Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

“When I was in serious danger I was almost completely paralysed by fear, I remember sitting with a coffin (a fellow soldier) on the fire-step of a trench during an intense bombardment, when it seemed certain that we must be killed”(The Psychological Effects Of The Vietnam War). Our soldiers that we send to war to protect us against the countries trying to harm us are put into dangerous situations that affect them physically and mentally and leave them with permanent damage to their minds and bodies. The server damage that our military soldiers faced when returning from war is PTSD which stands for post traumatic stress disorder and is the most common disorder that returning soldiers are diagnosed with , but a more tragic diagnosis from war

People who go to war for the first time usually come back changed. If the change is on the higher end of the spectrum then it is called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Surprisingly, this disorder is not exclusive to people in the military. Directly after the attacks on the Twin Towers a study showed that forty-four percent of the people in the U.S. experienced substantial stress (Perlman). The media caused this statistic because without them nobody would have known how severe the attack was. Schools and jobs were interrupted all over the nation to watch the towers fall on live television. It was so surreal that people did not want to believe it. New York City was in

When a soldier enlists into the military forces they know they are going in to fight for their country and freedom for everyone. They spend months training and preparing for the war and what to come. They learn to fight, shoot, and kill enemies, but what they do not learn is how to cope with the after math of the war. Soldiers in war every year come home with many post traumatic effects from what they had witnessed. During world war two this was known as shell shock; however what can be concluded is that world war two impacted the soldiers emotionally and physiologically from the time they entered to post war.

Correspondingly, most troops who came back from the military service suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. This is a mental condition that is triggered by experiencing terrifying events, which usually happen in wars. Twenty

War is a horrific situation that affects many people. It does not only affect the soldier but also their loved ones. Some soldiers do not get the chance to make it back to their families alive. Loss of life is inevitable. The traumatic exposure leaves life long effects. There will always be a negative outcome from the war. War changes people. An individual who goes into war will never forget the memories and images seen in the war zone. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the most common diagnosis for soldiers. War is not an easy adjustment for a family who has a loved one going into enemy territory. This event is devastating for all people involved. The environment is risky and life threatening. Loss of life is inevitable.

Even when children are not actively fighting as soldiers in war, “some [children] witness the death of loved ones. Some are forced to pull the trigger themselves”(Romenzi). Having to witness the death of loved ones or even having to kill someone else is something that leaves children emotionally scarred. The children in warzones are made to endure the constant exposure to death, violence, loss and fear. The children can eventually “lose their confidence, their trust in others and their trust in the future. They often become anxious, depressed and withdrawn, or rebellious and aggressive”(Romenzi). War affects children negatively and creates wary, squeamish, or aggressive personalities or even Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). The increased exposure to violence and death let mental issues appear in the traumatized