December Blog- Post Traumatic Stress

War is a big issue when it comes to society and history. There have been treacherous wars in the past; and today's society tries to learn from human's past mistakes and tries to prevent more treacherous wars from happening. There is a reason why wars desperately want to be avoided; there is more than just destruction and human loss that comes along with war. War tears the world apart; it breaks up countries, continents, families, and friends. War destroys homes, communities, cities, and populations. One of the saddest parts about war isn't the actual war, but it's what the wars do to the soldiers. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is something that most  soldiers have to deal with for the rest of their lives after they defend their country in battle. PTSD can cause veterans to become stressed, anxious, feel emotionally cut off from everyone else, have trouble concentrating, and have trouble getting along with family and friends. PSTD and having trouble coping with life after war relates to Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Billy Pilgrim experiences PTSD in a severe way; he imagines he was abducted by aliens (Tralfamadorians) and is very unstable emotionally. Billy Pilgrim can not even be a normal human being after the war, and his daughter has to keep him under close eye.
PTSD is a very real problem for many veterans and families in society today. An example of a veteran with severe PTSD is Roy R. who was a 19 year old soldier in the Vietnam war. He got through the war with rockets regularly coming down on him and the rest of the soldiers and constantly being under fire. After the war, Roy spent the years after doing many different jobs. He eventually became a successful broadcast journalist, until his PSTD began. The XTRA-TV at the broadcast station overwhelmed him and brought flashbacks of the war. He then became agoraphobic; he stayed inside with his blinds shut, he began to drink a lot, and he avoided people at all costs. Roy's doctor saved his life with medication and therapy. Roy's story is just one out of thousands and thousands of people who deal with PTSD.
I believe that both war and PTSD are horrible things to experience, and I can't imagine what going through both of them is like. Soldiers should be treated with so much respect just for defending their country, and after wars they should be helped tremendously dealing with post traumatic stress.