Joey Padula
New Here
As a college student preparing to write a paper on PTSD i have had this theory in the back of my mind for awhile. I really would like people who know alot more, or even better have it post what they think of my thoughts about PTSD. I would love all kinds of posts about it so dont hold back especially if you disagree go all out.
A Soldier’s Limbo
As war has raged across Afghanistan and Iraq for the past six years, more and more veterans continue to arrive back in the States. Many of these soldiers struggle to assimilate back into society because of a variety of problems ranging from alcohol and drug abuse, to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Veterans association believes that nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night and nearly 400,000 experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country. The terrible problems of PTSD and alcohol and drug abuse, has increasingly been prevalent in America’s war veterans. These problems have destroyed the lives of many soldiers desperately striving to assimilate back into civilian life. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a major problem effecting veterans. This disorder has lead Veterans down the self destructive path and drugs and alcohol. I believe part of a soldiers inability to assimilate easily back into America’s society stems from the mental schema and ideological beliefs that soldiers have mentally created to justify the terrible carnage that soldiers both inflict and receive during combat. These moral justifications conflict with American societies strong moral ideologies. This confrontation has caused soldiers to be unable to justify or reconcile their actions at war with society’s moral code. The soldiers are than stuck between both the ideals of the military and the ideals of society, leaving them in a mentally destructive limbo. The soldier’s major moral dilemma, in which they are incredibly haunted by their actions, manifests itself through the terrible disorder of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A majority of soldiers have tried to self destructively numb the pain of PTSD through alcoholism and drug addiction.it an article in the July 8, 2008 edition of The New York Times notes "a growing body of evidence that alcohol abuse is rising among veterans of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, many of them trying to deaden the repercussions of war and disorientation of home."
Americans live in a society that indoctrinates its community with the belief in the sanctity of life. The purposeful extinguishment of another human’s life is unacceptable. The ethos “Thou shall not kill” is ingrained into are society. It surrounds us through our court houses and our churches. Our schools, although not as intensely, teach us the golden rule; do unto others as you would want others do to you. Through these and many other simple resounding ideals, Americans have created the strong philosophy that life is precious. Unknowingly, this belief is part of an inherent system of ideals that unites us and creates the nationalistic idea of an American.
However, this indoctrination is reversed in the Unite States military. The renowned writer and Vietnam War Veteran Philip Caputo wrote in A RUMOUR OF WAR, of a time in which the military deliberately breaks down the American philosophy of the sacredness of life. Caputo remembers his sergeant teaching the ethos of murder through a lesson, in which he points to a Marine and asks,
Sergeant: “You, what does this say?”
Marine: “it say’s ambushes are murder,’ sergeant”
Sergeant: Right and Shouts, “AMBUSHES ARE MURDER,” then returns to the blackboard, writes something else, and again asks, “what does that say?”
Marine: “AND MURDER IS FUN.”
Sergeant: “right again… “Now, everybody say it. AMBUSHES ARE MURDER AND MURDER IS FUN.”
As soldiers are sent out into battle the numerous converging ethos’s of society, the military, and soldiers own personal conscious is pushed out of mind as they are faced with an endless feeling of peril, the powerful presence of death. When soldiers are thrust into such situations they are forced into the animal like innate flight or fight response. As the peril subsides, it is then that questions of morality vengefully converge upon the soldiers mind. It is at this moment in which the soldier fully comprehends his actions and equates himself as a part of the terrible carnage and destruction that inevitably occurs during all wars.
I believe that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is partly caused by the direct confrontation between society’s moral ethos and the Militaries. One in particular is society’s ethos of the immoral nature of the purposeful destruction of life. The direct confrontation between the two is blatant for the militaries purpose is to train soldiers into becoming killing machines. Societies purpose is to train people to be able to live together in a community.
A Soldier’s Limbo
As war has raged across Afghanistan and Iraq for the past six years, more and more veterans continue to arrive back in the States. Many of these soldiers struggle to assimilate back into society because of a variety of problems ranging from alcohol and drug abuse, to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Veterans association believes that nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night and nearly 400,000 experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country. The terrible problems of PTSD and alcohol and drug abuse, has increasingly been prevalent in America’s war veterans. These problems have destroyed the lives of many soldiers desperately striving to assimilate back into civilian life. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a major problem effecting veterans. This disorder has lead Veterans down the self destructive path and drugs and alcohol. I believe part of a soldiers inability to assimilate easily back into America’s society stems from the mental schema and ideological beliefs that soldiers have mentally created to justify the terrible carnage that soldiers both inflict and receive during combat. These moral justifications conflict with American societies strong moral ideologies. This confrontation has caused soldiers to be unable to justify or reconcile their actions at war with society’s moral code. The soldiers are than stuck between both the ideals of the military and the ideals of society, leaving them in a mentally destructive limbo. The soldier’s major moral dilemma, in which they are incredibly haunted by their actions, manifests itself through the terrible disorder of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A majority of soldiers have tried to self destructively numb the pain of PTSD through alcoholism and drug addiction.it an article in the July 8, 2008 edition of The New York Times notes "a growing body of evidence that alcohol abuse is rising among veterans of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, many of them trying to deaden the repercussions of war and disorientation of home."
Americans live in a society that indoctrinates its community with the belief in the sanctity of life. The purposeful extinguishment of another human’s life is unacceptable. The ethos “Thou shall not kill” is ingrained into are society. It surrounds us through our court houses and our churches. Our schools, although not as intensely, teach us the golden rule; do unto others as you would want others do to you. Through these and many other simple resounding ideals, Americans have created the strong philosophy that life is precious. Unknowingly, this belief is part of an inherent system of ideals that unites us and creates the nationalistic idea of an American.
However, this indoctrination is reversed in the Unite States military. The renowned writer and Vietnam War Veteran Philip Caputo wrote in A RUMOUR OF WAR, of a time in which the military deliberately breaks down the American philosophy of the sacredness of life. Caputo remembers his sergeant teaching the ethos of murder through a lesson, in which he points to a Marine and asks,
Sergeant: “You, what does this say?”
Marine: “it say’s ambushes are murder,’ sergeant”
Sergeant: Right and Shouts, “AMBUSHES ARE MURDER,” then returns to the blackboard, writes something else, and again asks, “what does that say?”
Marine: “AND MURDER IS FUN.”
Sergeant: “right again… “Now, everybody say it. AMBUSHES ARE MURDER AND MURDER IS FUN.”
As soldiers are sent out into battle the numerous converging ethos’s of society, the military, and soldiers own personal conscious is pushed out of mind as they are faced with an endless feeling of peril, the powerful presence of death. When soldiers are thrust into such situations they are forced into the animal like innate flight or fight response. As the peril subsides, it is then that questions of morality vengefully converge upon the soldiers mind. It is at this moment in which the soldier fully comprehends his actions and equates himself as a part of the terrible carnage and destruction that inevitably occurs during all wars.
I believe that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is partly caused by the direct confrontation between society’s moral ethos and the Militaries. One in particular is society’s ethos of the immoral nature of the purposeful destruction of life. The direct confrontation between the two is blatant for the militaries purpose is to train soldiers into becoming killing machines. Societies purpose is to train people to be able to live together in a community.
