Emotional Effects of War on Soldiers - Essay Example

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Soldiers Hook + Thesis ment “You are faced with being a good soldier as you were told, or do what your conscience tells you, regardless of the consequences,” as narrated in the award-winning documentary Soldiers of Conscience by Ryan & Weimberg. Many soldiers encounter this kind of dilemma on whether they are going to kill their enemies because it is part of their job or follow their conscience and show mercy. Sometimes, these men are not aware of the consequences of what the violence of war might bring into their lives. One country depends so much on the military in times of war. People believe that soldiers had gone through a lot of trainings - too much training that taking lives is just a usual thing to do. But what people do not know is that war leaves a mark not only to the soldiers’ body but also to their sanity. Soldiers may be trained to be killing machines but the violent experiences that they encounter during the war can have detrimental effects on them which include post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. 2. Strongest evidence According to Oak, whenever soldiers are at war, they have to hurt or kill their opponents. Their duty forces them to destroy their enemy’s forces and end lives. However, enemies or allies, they are all human beings after all. This is why “they have to bear the grief of the suffering and deaths of their fellow mates as well.” (Oak). These situations affect the soldiers emotionally and often results to depression and deprivation of peace of mind among soldiers. The soldiers who experience this go through emotional struggle that often results to severe mental stress. They will also experience different kinds of emotions which will result in great mental strain. “Their homesickness can lead to intense feelings of solitude. Their trauma brings them mental insecurity. The violence, the injuries and the heavy destructions result in distress.” (Oak) 3. Second strongest evidence Peter Kilner, a major from the Army, contributed an important essay to the journal Military Review. According to Kilner’s essay, as cited by Adam Weinstein in his article in Mother Jones magazine, medical consultants of the army gave an estimation of 20 percent of soldiers who fought in Iraq had shown symptoms of mental problems. The study also showed that suicide in the military has doubled since 2001. There was even an investigation by the National Public Radio that soldiers with PTSD were punished and kicked out of the army (Weinstein). 4. Minor evidence When a person encounters a traumatic experience that might have harmed the individual physically and/or emotionally, the person is most likely to develop PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. Any harm or threat of harm that an individual encounters (it can be the person that was harmed, a loved one, or the person who witnessed a harmful event) can lead to PTSD. PTSD was said to have been “originated” or was first experienced by the veterans of war but a lot of victims of harmful incidence are now experiencing PTSD. It is a type of anxiety disorder often accompanied by nightmares, flashbacks of the traumatic or harmful event, depression, stress, hopelessness and loss of interest in activities (“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”). A survey from 6, 201 soldiers was conducted and results show that 16-17% who fought in Iraq showed symptoms of PTSD. On the other hand, 11% of those who fought in Afghanistan were said to be experiencing signs of PTSD. This is because those who served in Iraq have seen more violence like firefights, attacks, and combats than those who served Afghanistan. (“1 in 8 returning soldiers suffers from PTSD”). One soldier named Brandon Garrison, after fighting in the war in Afghanistan, is now fighting his own war. After he was brought to Afghanistan, nightmares and flashbacks about his experience there haunted him. Sometimes, he would just wake up in the middle of the night panicking and finding it hard to breathe. Then he would start to cry because he was having visions like the mass casualties that they had. It was like anything around him can give him flashbacks about the war. For example, when he hears a song or report about the war, he automatically relives it. Because of this, Garrison started drinking more often than usual because it was his only way to escape these visions and flashbacks (Burton). 5. Evidence or information that does not directly relate to the thesis In the case of Brandon Garrison, the army said that it was not the war that caused Garrison to experience those nightmares and flashbacks. The military claimed that it was a pre-existing condition that Garrison had before going to the war. In relation to this, PTSD can be caused by any harm or threat of harm not just encountered by the person but also by their loved ones or any person related to them (“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”). So, it is possible that the war is not only the factor why some soldiers experience this kind of disorder. There can also be other factors and as the military said, it is possible that the soldiers already have this kind of condition even before the came to fight in the war. On the other hand, General Barry McCaffrey opposes Peter Kilner’s hypothesis about the soldiers suffering PTSD after getting into the war. He said that “soldiers kill” and that “they have no problems killing the enemy” (Weinstein). It is like McCaffrey was suggesting that soldiers are trained to be tough and can withstand all the violence that they can encounter in battles and wars. It’s like saying that soldiers do not have to justify themselves killing the enemy. With McCaffrey’s words, he was saying that their conscience will not haunt them after the war because they are trained to be killing machines and they have no problems about that. Supporting McCaffrey’s statements is a Texan military man named Major Rob Hefner who told a story about shooting an Iraqi during the war. He said that after firing the shot, all he felt was “the satisfaction of seeing a round hit its intended target.” Hefner said that he did not regret shooting the man but also admitted that it was not the right thing to do. He also admitted that he has done a wrong thing but for the right reasons (Weinstein). In addition, Hefner said that the soldiers don’t need psychiatrists and more awareness on PTSD to avoid the psychological consequences of war. They do not need therapy but more company of other soldiers (Weinstein). There are also clinicians who opposed Kilner’s hypothesis because his research was not based on the correct statistics. They say that the army does not have the number of killings in the line of duty that is why they say that the effect of war on soldiers is under-researched. According to Dr. Brett T. Litz, it is not yet the right time to already have conclusions about the psychological consequences of war because the research about that is still in progress (Weinstein). 6. How do you account for this mismatch of evidence? First of all, the issue of PTSD involves people. Therefore, the results of the existing studies could be subjective because soldiers are different people. Even though soldiers undergo similar military trainings, they do not have the same intelligence level and mental capability. The results of researches on PTSD among soldiers hence can also vary. The soldiers can have different thresholds for violence which will determine their vulnerability to PTSD. It can be true that commanders provide their soldiers proper and extensive physical training to be able to endure all wounds and bruises and bodily stress during the war. However, emotional and psychological preparation can be very crucial. This preparation, like counseling, has different approaches. Some approaches can be effective to other soldiers. But some approaches need to be modified just to fit the others. Maybe some of these approaches call for one-on-one counseling. It might take a long time to do that. Perhaps that is why this kind of preparation is not given much attention by the military leaders. Another thing that can cause the mismatch between the evidences is the inaccuracy of information gathered. Like what is said in the earlier part of this paper, the military were not able to record the number of people killed by the soldiers. At the moment, they still lack this kind of data that is why the statistics from the studies may not be valid. The last thing that could cause the differences between the results of researches is the soldier being interviewed. Some of them can still be in denial, like Hefner. They could be thinking that they are doing well and are not affected negatively by the war they had just gone through. Their denial can be brought about by their want and need to keep their career. Also, the disability benefits of soldiers with personality disorders are being slashed once the military finds out about their illness (Burton). They replace it with mental healthcare benefits so some soldiers prefer not to admit that they are experiencing mental disorders. Also, some of the soldiers might think that if they admit the regrets that they feel and other negative emotions, their killings will not be justified. In the case of Hefner, for example, he said that he did not regret killing the Iraqi but he wanted to find the body after killing him. In this case, I think some soldiers like Hefner denies what they feel so it will never interfere to their role as soldiers. I mean, some soldiers might not want to entertain some sort of emotional attachment to the people that they kill because it might interfere with their job. Lastly, soldiers may have the tendency to “brag” that they do not feel any mercy to the people they kill. This is because most of the soldiers are men and they have this macho mentality so they do not want to admit that they feel some sort of pity to their enemies. After having examined the evidences that support and oppose the first thesis, the researcher thinks that it is too early to conclude that the violent experiences that the soldiers encounter during the war are the only factors that make them acquire PTSD. What can be more appropriate is that acquiring PTSD depends on the preparation and training (physically, psychologically, and emotionally) that the soldier has undergone. It is not right to only blame the soldiers’ acquisition of PTSD for the violence they encounter in war but also their mental preparedness before they go to battles. 7. Explanation of researched evidence that opposes the first thesis The first opposing evidence is the case of Brandon Garrison where the army said that it is not the war that caused Garrison to experience nightmares and flashbacks. The military asserted that Garrison has a pre-existing disorder that triggered his visions and nightmares (Burton). It opposes the first thesis because it gives us evidence that war is not the only factor to blame for acquiring PTSD. Some soldiers may have experienced anxiety disorders before that made them vulnerable of having trauma after having fought the war. The second evidence is about General Barry McCaffrey saying that soldiers are trained to kill and they do not have problem with that. McCaffrey is saying that the soldiers are aware of their job and that is to kill the enemy. Their killings do not haunt them because they are trained to be killing machines and every killing that they do is justified (Weinstein). With McCaffrey’s statements, he was implying that it is impossible for soldiers to be “haunted” by their conscience after the war because they know that it is part of their job. Therefore, it is very unlikely for soldiers to have PTSD. The third evidence is the case of Rob Hefner where he said that he never regretted killing the enemies and that he feels ok about it because he did the wrong thing for the right reasons (Weinstein). One explanation for this is that they were trained to kill their enemy. They were not supposed to give mercy because they fight for the country’s security. Emotional aspects have no room during the war that is why they have to convince themselves that their killings are justified. Because of this, they do not regret killing their enemies. 8. Response to each opposing evidences The claims of the army regarding the case of Brandon Garisson might be true. It is possible that it is not only the violent nature of the war that caused his nightmares and flashbacks. As said earlier in the paper, PTSD can be caused by any frightful or traumatic event. However, the effects of this disorder is having nightmares and flashbacks of the certain traumatic event, So, if Garrison’s visions are always about the war, his disorder is most likely brought about by the war. But, not all causes of PTSD are psychological. According to Yvonne Lee, those who suffered brain injuries during the war are most likely to experience PTSD. So PTSD can be caused by both physical and psychological factors (Lee). About McCaffrey’s statement of “they have no problem killing the enemy”, the researcher believes that it is not just the killer instinct that the soldiers need in order to survive in the war. They also need to be emotionally and mentally prepared to risk their life especially in another country. Yes, it is true that soldiers are trained to kill but the researcher does not agree that they do not feel anythiing after taking the lives of their enemy. These soldiers might still have the slightest conscience and, although it is their job to kill, they can still feel pity towards their enemies. It is possible that Hefner was just in the stage of denial when he said that he did not regret killing the Iraqi. Meaning, maybe he’s telling the truth that he feels no regret but it is also possible that in his subconscious, he can feel even just a small amount of pity towards the Iraqi because he also said that he wanted to see the body for no reason at all. Maybe most of the soldiers were like that. They try not to feel any pity when they kill so that they can convince themselves that what their enemies just deserved what happened to them. 9. Questions related to the thesis What are the symptoms of PTSD? Does the level of violence has something to do with the number of soldiers acquiring PTSD? Is it really violence or the lack of preparation that should be responsible for acquiring PTSD? Is culture one of the factors that can cause the person to acquire PTSD? 10. Answers to the questions What are the symptoms of PTSD? Based from the evidence given above, the symptoms of PTSD, as experienced by Brandon Garrison, are nightmares, visions, or flashbacks about the traumatic event experienced by the patient.There are also instances that anything you hear or see can remind you of that event. In the case of Garrison, when he hears reports about the war, he instantly relives the traumatic event in the war. Panicking and also finding it hard to breathe when you have nightmares are also the symptoms of PTSD (Weinstein). Does the level of violence has something to do with the number of soldiers acquiring PTSD? Yes, it does. Minor evidence show that 16-17% who fought in Iraq had symptoms of PTSD while only 11% of those who fought in Afghanistan showed the same symptoms. The study concluded that this has something to do with the violence in Iraq since soldiers in Iraq experience more battles, attacks, and combats. 11. Questions without enough evidence Is culture one of the factors that can cause the person to acquire PTSD? There is no enough evidence for this inquiry. However, we can trace some cases where culture has something to do with the effects of war. An example of this is in the poem Aeneid. Aeneas from Greece, the lead warrior in the poem, learned to live his life by obeying the laws and fulfilling his responsibilities to his family and to his nation. He became successful in the battles. In contrast, one can feel the sadness and discontentment within Aeneid. It is because his mind was filled with questions like why innocent people had to die in the middle of the war. It is also because he knew that he was just doing the things he was expected to do and not for personal interest. Since this issue is a bit complicated, it will need more research and more time to answer this one. Is it really violence or the lack of preparation that should be responsible for acquiring PTSD? Like the previous question, this issue also needs more time and effort to be answered on this paper. But it will be good if researches will be conducted to clarify this one. 12. Revise thesis. Discuss reasoning. Post-traumatic stress disorder is not just caused by lack of preparation for the war and the violence that the soldiers encounter. The possibility of acquiring PTSD can also be influenced by the values that a soldier believes in. I have drawn this conclusion thinking that if the person values morality, it is more likely that guilt will haunt him after returning home from the battlefields. Soldiers who bring their morality and conscience with them at war have lower threshold for violence compared to other soldiers. This makes them more vulnerable to PTSD than the others. 13. Present an object related to evolved thesis. Figure 1. Photo by Michael Yon The picture above shows a soldier embracing a child wrapped in a bloody blanket. This picture is possibly taken in a third-world country. The soldier looks really affected by the consequences of the war. The child may just be another casualty. Maybe it is not his intention to kill the child because if so, he would not be as emotional as he seems in the picture. Situations like in the picture triggers PTSD because most of the soldiers are not prepared for these instances. Most probably, the trainings that they have undegone just prepared them to see the dead bodies of their enemy but they were not prepared to see innocent people die. This happens especially to soldiers who value morality because they are most likely to feel guilty and emotional even though it is not entirely their fault. 14. Conclusion The conscience of a soldier is definitely one of the factors that can result to PTSD. The more they value morality, the more they feel the impact of war on them, The level of violence that they experience during the war has also been proven by many studies to have caused their PTSD. Being prepared in all aspects – physically, emotionally, and psychologically – is also a factor to prevent PTSD among soldiers. Having all these information, the researcher can conclude that war can only cause PTSD to soldiers if they let their conscience take over their duties as soldiers. Having too much pity and regrets after killing someone will definitely affect them after the war that is why they do not only have to be physically prepared but also mentally. 15. Works Cited “1 in 8 returning soldiers suffers from PTSD.” MSNBC. 30 June 2004. The Associated Press. 20 November 2008 . Burton, Tracy. “A Soldier’s Struggle with PTSD.” Military.com. 29 March 2008. Stars and Stripes. 20 November 2008 . Lee, Yvonne. “Study: PTSD, not brain injury, may cause vets’ symptoms.” CNN.com. 30 January 2008. Cable News Network. 20 November 2008 . Oak, Manali. “Emotional Effects of War on Soldiers.” Buzzle.com. 20 October 2008. 2 December 2008 “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” NIMH. 26 June 2008. National Institute of Mental Health. 20 November 2008 . Ryan, Catherine and Gary Weimberg. “Soldiers of Conscience Trailer.” April 2007. Online Video Clip. Soldiers of Conscience Official Site. Accessed on 20 November 2008. Weinstein, Adam. “The Pentagon’s PTSD Denial.” Mother Jones. September/October 2008. 20 November 2008 . Yon, Michael. “Wahhabism in Canada.” Being American in T.O. 9 June 2006. 20 November 2008 . Read More