What is the issue of suicide and mental health problems for Vietnam Vets? Is it true that more vets committed suicide than being killed in combat?
To answer the first question, there were a lot of suicides that came out of this war, more so than other wars. Many of the soldiers also suffered from PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder. It is a terrible mental illness that makes you see and feel things that aren't really there. This has made very many soldiers isolated from the world when they come back home. Yes there families are generally very supportive but a lot of men do not want to admit that there is a problem. This can lead to drug use, alcoholism, or even suicide. I read an article about a man, Roy, it was his success story as he titled it. What was different about Roy was that he didn't get his PTSD symptoms until about 20-30 years after the war. Before then he was successful with his jobs and was doing great. Until he felt the emptiness, the depression began, so he went back to his hometown to "recharge his batteries" as he put it. From there things got worse. He became and agoraphobic, staying inside all day with the blinds down. He did not associate with others and turned to heavy drinking. When Roy was left with two options, get help or commit suicide. Thankfully he chose to get help. The transition of coming home back home after being through such traumatic experiences can be unbearably hard. I hope that one day we can find a better solution.
http://www.veteransinc.org/services/housing-programs/roy/
In searching for my second question I haven't really found the answers that I want. I have found researchers saying that only 20,000 vets have committed suicide from the Vietnam War and others articles saying that over 150,000 Vietnam Vets committed suicide. If over 150,000 vets from the Vietnam War have committed suicide returning home than that would mean that more almost three times the number of vets died by suicide rather than actual combat.
http://www.suicidewall.com/suicide-statistics/
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| Before and after affects of any war that our soldiers may fight. |
The large number of suicides caused by the Vietnam war and PTSD are far greater than any other war or conflict the U.S. has entered. Do you think the psychological warfare used during Vietnam is the cause of all of these suicides?
ReplyDeleteI do think that the psychological warfare had a huge impact on the number of suicides caused by this war. It's unbelievable that our country thinks or any country for that matter thinks that we need to come to violence to solve anything.
DeleteI think that PTSD is a huge deal, and most people don't understand just how serious it really is. Clearly it's a big deal if three times the amount of people are coming suicide as to the amount of fatalities during war. I think people should be more understanding of the veterans and how they feel after everything they have done for our country.
ReplyDeleteI agree and I feel like this is a big problem with our society today, we lack so much empathy for others its sad. I was always told growing up to understand that everyone is battling something whether it be big or small.
DeleteI think that PTSD should be taken more seriously and there should be a place in every city in America that veterans can go if they are suffering. It is so sad to see how the war effects people that volunteered to fight for the freedom of others. These men and women risk their lives on the battlefield, and come home and suffer even more. It's truly heartbreaking what some of these people go through.
ReplyDeleteYou're couldn't be more right! It is a very sad thing to see the people who risked it all for us to be treated as poorly as they do. I agree about having a place in every city in America where veterans can go to receive or just to talk to other people who have been through what they have, I also think that something like this should be government funded.
DeleteThe things that soldiers witness in war are horrible. It's sad how much of the war can destroy a persons live. I wish when they came home there could have been more help. I ts sad how a person can come home so different but then who would come home the same after witnessing so many gruesome things.
ReplyDeleteI have seen the unfortunate results of PTSD in both my cousin and my high school chemistry teacher. This is a real life problem and it truly bothers me that people today are still saying that it is all made up. I find it so sad that people who have put their lives on the line for me and my freedom are now taking their lives because they suffered through terrible things for me.
ReplyDeleteI never seen it from that perspective and you're right. Its a shame that people who gave for me and my life are taking their own lives. I could never image what their families have to go through and how they feel. I feel as though something really needs to change.
DeleteIt bothers me as well. I think in many cases and disorders, people who do not have them have a hard time understanding them. But they are real and have a greater effect than we may think sometimes.
DeleteIn my experience, PTSD isn't just in veterans. . . I have a few friends that have it that have never been to war. Theirs might not be as severe, but it still impacts them every day. People need to take it more serious, and not just dismiss it when someone needs help.
ReplyDeleteIt sucks to see and to know individuals that experience PTSD. It's also a gloomy feeling that we really don't know the total amount of individuals that committed suicide. Makes you really ponder.
ReplyDeleteI was unaware of how prevalent PTSD was among Vietnam Veterans, and the fact that more people COULD have possibly died as a result of suicide than from the actual war itself is staggering. Really makes you think about the mental toll that many of the soldiers endured. Was it worth it?
ReplyDeleteFrom reading the comments it makes me wonder if we, as a species, have a tendency to have forms of PTSD embedded in us much like cancers are unique to the person? If there only needs to be a "trigger" that is stressful enough to make us snap. War or not. War is a very high stress and If the previous was true then it maybe that would explain why PTSD wasn't really noticed in mass effect until after the war.
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