Iraq and Afghan Veterans: Effects of War on Returning Soldiers - Research Paper Example

4 April Iraq and Afghan Veterans: Effects of War on Returning Soldiers Introduction The impacts of war are not only present in the battlefield. This is because they extend beyond the battlefield and to the lives of families and friends of service men and women. The experiences that service members go through in the war zones change them forever. According to Tick, “years later, veterans still have nightmares and flashbacks in which the old battles still rage” (1). It is common for returning soldiers to stand ready for danger and watch for threats even when away from the battlefields. The way in which they respond to relationships and events that occur every day is also different. The emotions and images of war may remain in the souls and minds of returning soldiers for decades or even lifetimes after the wars. This is usually due to a fundamental reshaping of important human characteristics, especially those related to the soul. The characteristics include “how we perceive; how our minds are organized and function; how we love and relate; what we believe, expect, and value; what we feel and refuse to feel; and what we judge as good or evil, right or wrong” (1). As a way to deal with the emotions and images of war that still linger in the souls and minds of returning soldiers, most of them suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) and engage in substance abuse. This paper is a discussion on the effects of war on returning soldiers, with a particular focus on Iraq and Afghan veterans. 2. Substance Abuse among Returning Soldiers The use and abuse of substances such as alcohol and narcotics for most soldiers usually begins with the beginning of military life. Ruiz and Strain point out that “the armed services have experienced problems with alcohol abuse from the earliest days of military service, in part because heavy drinking has been an accepted custom and tradition that continues today” (926).To this day, military outlets sell alcohol beverages at reduced prices. On top of this, alcohol is part of the work culture in the military as it is used to encourage camaraderie and unit solidarity, ease interpersonal pressures and reward hard work. Just like alcohol, illegal drugs or narcotics and nonmedical prescription drugs have been used by soldiers to help cope with panic or boredom, increase alertness and reduce fatigue, as well as to reduce pain from wounds. The use and abuse of these substances have over time been discouraged in the military and policies have been developed to help eliminate the problem. According to Ruiz and Strain, “urine tests, which are conducted randomly or when an individual is suspected of using drugs, have become a major tool for the detection and deterrence of illicit drugs use in the military” (927). It is however important to note that this does not eliminate the problem that leads soldiers to abusing alcohol and substances. Soldiers eventually get to go home after war. They carry with them memories and emotions from war zones and most of them have at this time changed. The problem of substance abuse among returning soldiers stems from this fact. For Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, substance abuse is a common problem that has prompted studies to determine the main cause and ways to prevent this problem in future. Over half of returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan seem to believe that the solution to their anger, confusion and nightmares is a pill or a bottle of alcohol (IAVA, iava.org). 2.1 Alcohol After being in active duty, many United States veterans, who can be said to have served the nation with honour, become engaged in alcohol abuse (NCADD, ncadd.org). Although there are many reasons behind this, the primary reason is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD); many drink to relieve their minds and emotions off the battlefield experiences. Veterans come from both sexes and female veterans, although not as many as the males in numbers also abuse alcohol. The reason behind the smaller number of female veterans who abuse alcohol is the fact that most of them tend to use prescription drugs (NCADD, ncadd.org). Between 2006 and 2008, the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Centre found that among troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, one out of eight troops needed counselling to treat alcohol problems (NCADD, ncadd.org). The centre also found that among all veterans in the United States, 56%, 23% and 7% of the male veterans were involved alcohol use, binge drinking and heavy drinking respectively, while 41%, 14% and 2% of the female veterans were involved in alcohol use, binge drinking and heavy drinking respectively (NCADD, ncadd.org). 2.2 Narcotics Forbes defines narcotics as “medicines which in small or moderate doses produce temporary excitement succeeded by depression, which is generally followed by sleep” (148). Narcotics include methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana and cocaine. Although the use of narcotics is low among veterans in the United States, returning soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq have reported using them a lot more (AZ Health Survey, arizonahealthsurvey.org). Most Iraq and Afghan veterans use marijuana. The use of narcotics has resulted to deaths of many Iraq and Afghan veterans. Due to their ability to relieve physical and mental pain, most veterans experiencing these symptoms continue to abuse them. This usually goes on to lethal levels and a lot of accidental deaths occur from this. However, it is important to note that not all these deaths are accidental since some veterans leave suicide notes. According to an analysis in the United States, overdoses of narcotics are more prevalent among Afghanistan and Iraq veterans compared to the entire US veteran population (American-Statesman Investigative Team, statesman.com). 2.3 Prescription drugs Unlike narcotics which are illegal, prescription drugs are legal and are usually prescribed to service members and veterans by physicians to treat mood disorders like anxiety and depression, stimulate sleep and reduce pain (American-Statesman Investigative Team, statesman.com). The abuse of prescription drugs is common among the American population. However, the hardest hit group includes members in active military service and veterans. Following postings to Iraq and Afghanistan, the numbers have been on the rise. Just like narcotics, overdoses of prescription drugs have led to suicidal and accidental deaths of many veterans. Accidental deaths from prescribed drugs result from lethal dosage miscalculations, and failure to keep record of the use of different drugs as most veterans suffering from physical and mental pain get too mush engrossed in relieving their pain, such that they forget to put these factors into account. 3. Anxiety and PSTD among Returning Soldiers Anxiety is a common emotion among people and depending on the effects that come with it, it can be helpful or disastrous. Williams states that “anxiety becomes a problem when people feel anxious in situations that are not dangerous at all” (101). Feeling too anxious way beyond what is helpful in a certain circumstance is also a problem. Due to the experiences that take place in the battlefield and the fact that service members are required to stay alert at all times to avoid dangers, anxiety is a common problem among them. The problem can persist even after service members return home. Roche defines Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) as “a psychological disorder with a long recorded history of incapacitating hundreds of thousands of individuals who were in combat or traumatized by an event in their lives” (1). PSTD which is an anxiety disorder is common among individuals who witness or experience events that are life threatening such as violent personal assaults, terrorist incidents and military combat. The experiences are often relived in these people through feelings or estrangement or detachment, insomnia, flashbacks and nightmares and as a result of experiencing these problems, most people engage in violence. According to data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), among the total number of war veterans in the United States, 11% of afghan veterans and 20% of Iraq veterans suffer from PSTD (NIH Medline Plus, nlm.nih.gov). 3.1 Flashbacks Experiencing flashbacks of a traumatic event is a common symptom of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Flashbacks are composed of sounds, feelings, smells and images of a terrifying event (NIH Medline Plus, nlm.nih.gov). Although flashbacks may be triggered by a number of things, they often occur from normal occurrences such as smelling something similar to what it smelled like during the fateful event, being in an environment that looks similar to the place among other occurrences. Flashbacks usually arouse very strong physical feelings and emotions that are similar to those that occurred during the event, despite being long after the incident and individuals being no longer in danger. 3.2 Nightmares Nightmares are another symptom of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Just like flashbacks, nightmares relive an event. The only difference comes from the fact that flashbacks take place when one is awake, while nightmares happen when is asleep. Due to experiencing nightmares when they sleep, active-duty soldiers and veterans develop sleep problems. According to research, these people are at a higher risk of generating sleep disorders compared to the populations, which makes them vulnerable to other health problems (Breus, psychologytoday.com). In a study conducted among Iraq and Afghan veterans, “eighty per cent of veterans interviewed reported having at least occasional nightmares about their military experiences, and more than a third said that they had nightmares moderately or extremely often” (Finley n.p.). 3.3 Violence Violent behaviour usually develops due to soldiers experiences during combat. Violence is also related to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and it is usually a reaction to post-traumatic stress. Violence usually results when no treatment is offered to veterans with post-traumatic stress. For active-duty soldiers and veterans with post-traumatic stress, rage often builds up and the individual feels a compelling urge to lash out. While some people can struggle to keep such emotions under control, there are those who are unable to. According to recent research, the probability of a returning soldier attacking someone after returning home from combat is one out of eight (Deith, bbc.com).For soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, their engagement in violent acts is much higher, due to the high level of combat experiences they get involved in during deployment. 4. Change among Returning Soldiers Long and frequent deployments such as Afghanistan’s Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraq’s Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) often lead to changes in soldiers (Wegner 150). Change may be witnessed in attitude towards friends, wife and children. Changes in personality and world view also occur. Soldiers usually have high expectations that upon returning home, they will be able to start things off from where they left them and everything will flow smoothly. However, just like they manage to live without loved ones close to them, the spouses and children left at home also learn to survive on their own. This usually contributes to a soldier feeling unneeded upon returning home. For children who are young, this person is a stranger, while for older ones, they are resentful or shy. Change of personality and world view can be attributed to the long time spent away and activities that soldiers get involved in. 4.1 Wife and children According to Early, “much of the alienation for the war veteran appears to occur when the veteran returns to a familiar surrounding and is aware that he or she has changed significantly due to experiences not had by others” (4). It is a fact that violence against women is one of the activities male soldiers get engaged in or witness. Violence, withdrawal and coldness towards a spouse are usually as a result of personality change. Another change is overprotectiveness towards children. Since veterans view the world as a hazardous and very dangerous place, they believe that these children are vulnerable to a lot of occurrences, yet the children are not well prepared for survival in such a world. A veteran feels that he or she has great responsibility in preparing children to face the dangerous world. Rhoades, Leaveck and Hudson support this by asserting that “the veteran’s view of his children is similar to his view of replacements for his unit in Vietnam” (66). Another change of attitude towards wife and children comes from the authoritarian character that soldiers acquire. It is common to hear wives say that their veteran husbands are impatient. Rather than being learning experiences as it is in the world of civilians, mistakes are not allowed in the world of active-duty soldiers and veterans. 4.2 Personality It has often been said that there is a difference between people who choose to join the military and those who do not. Being in the military substantially changes the personalities of service members and this usually exaggerates that difference between them and civilians. Among the differences that exist between those who join the military and those who prefer to remain as civilians include interest in competition, aggressiveness, lack of interest for novel experiences, and less worry regarding issues for those interested or in the military and less interest in competition, calmness and interest in novel experiences for those who remain as civilians (Garfinkel, psychologytoday.com). Military experiences make veterans less agreeable, a trait that creates obstacles in formation and maintenance of friend, family, romantic and sometimes work relationships. In fact, this is the reason behind veterans’ struggles in maintaining healthy occupational, social and family life. Even without being involved in combat, military life significantly changes the personalities of service members. Although psychologists argue that personality is a human trait that can hardly be changed, recent research has it that some life experiences can change the personality of an individual (Washington University in St. Louis, sciencedaily.com). It is a fact that life changing transformations in individuals occur in the military. 4.3 World view Military life definitely changes a person’s world view. In general, a world view refers to an individual’s values as well as those of the society. Clauss-Ehlers defines world view as an individual’s “value-oriented philosophy about life and general framework for understanding the world” (28). When joining the military, most soldiers can be said to be innocent in terms of the experiences they have been exposed to. This innocence is taken away by military experiences and soldiers become tough men and women as they struggle to keep themselves alive. Combat is a serious undertaking. This is because it is during this time that the inexperienced get to learn a few things from the experienced for the sake of their survival. The time for compromising, giving explanations and discussing matters is hardly ever available. This generally makes veterans impatient, authoritarian, and rude among other values. Rhoades, Leaveck and Hudson note that “the more combat a veteran experienced, the more central his world view becomes and the more all-encompassing it is in every part of his life” (66). 5. Conclusion It is a sad fact that the effects of war on returning veterans extend beyond battlefields. Due to experiences during war, veterans become victims of both physical and mental conditions and drugs. This scenario is especially common for veterans returning from wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Suicidal and accidental deaths of war veterans are common in the United States and this is not only a saddening fact, but a troubling one as well. There is need for the preservation of the well-being of those who serve in the armed forces and hence good and effective solutions need to be formulated to ensure their well-being. Works Cited American-Statesman Investigative Team. “Prescription Drug Abuse, Overdoses haunt Veterans seeking Relief from Physical, Mental Pain.” statesman.com.29 September 2012. Web. 4 April 2014. AZ Health Survey. “Substance Use and Mental Health Problems among Arizona Veterans.” arizonahealthsurvey.org. 2014. Web. 4 April 2014. Breus, Michael J. “Sleep Problems for Soldiers and Vets.” psychologytoday.com. 11 November 2013. Web. 7 April 2014.  Clauss-Ehlers, Caroline S. Diversity Training for Classroom Teaching: A Manual for Students and Educators. New York: Springer, 2006. Print. Deith, Jane. “’One in Eight Soldiers’ Commits Violence on Return.” bbc.com. 24 July 2012. Web. 7 April 2014. Early, Emmett. The Alienated War Veteran in Film and Literature. North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2014. Print. Finley, Erin P. Fields of Combat: Understanding PTSD among Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. New York: Cornell University Press, 2011. Print. Forbes, John. The Cyclopaedia of Practical Medicine: Comprising Treatises on the Nature and Treatment of Diseases, Materia Medica and Therapeutics, Medical Jurisprudence, Etc. Etc., Volume 3.  London: Sherwood, Gilbert and Piper, 1834. Print. Garfinkel, Renee. “Military Service changes Soldiers’ Personalities.” psychologytoday.com. 2 March 2012. Web. 7 April 2014. IAVA. “Substance Abuse.” iava.org. 2011. Web. 4 April 2014. NCADD. “Veterans and Alcohol.” ncadd.org. n.d. Web. 4 April 2014. NIH Medline Plus. “PSTD: A Growing Epidemic.” nlm.nih.gov. 2009. Web. 4 April 2014. Rhoades, Dennis K., Michael R. Leaveck and James C. Hudson. The Legacy of Vietnam Veterans and Their Families: Survivors of War: Catalysts for Change. Collingdale: DIANE Publishing, 1996. Print. Roche, John D. The Veterans PTSD Handbook: How to File and Collect on Claims for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Washington DC: Potomac Books, Inc., 2007. Print. Ruiz, Pedro and Eric C. Strain. Lowinson and Ruizs Substance Abuse: A Comprehensive Textbook. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011. Print. Tick, Edward. War and the Soul: Healing Our Nations Veterans from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Wheaton: Quest Books, 2005. Print. Washington University in St. Louis. “Military Service, even without Combat, can change Personality and make Vets less agreeable, Research suggests.” sciencedaily.com. 17 February 2012. Web. 7 April 2014. Wegner, Beth. The Difficult Reintegration of Soldiers to Society and Family after Deployment. 2011. PDF file. Williams, Christopher. Overcoming Anxiety, Stress and Panic: A Five Areas Approach, Third Edition. London: Hodder Arnold, 2012. Print.     Read More