How war affects soldiers

1. How war affects soldiers

2. PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) affects many veterans across the worlds. Veterans develop PTSD after experiencing traumatic events during war. PTSD does not only occur in soldiers but can happen after any traumatic or extremely stressful situation.

3. The symptoms of PTSD include flash back, mental distress when reminded of the event, and physical distress when reminded of the event. • Flash Back: This is when the person feels as though they are reliving the experience. • Mental Distress: When reminded of the experience they become agitated. • Physical Distress: When reminded of the experience they begin to have increased heart rate and begin sweating.

4. I am interested in PTSD because I have heard many people talk about it but I never really knew what it was.

5. My big question is: How are soldiers affected by war?

6. Novels • The first novel I read was “Catch-22.” This book was about a soldier who got stuck in the war. His superior officers kept increasing the number of missions he had to complete before he could go home, so finally he realized he would never get home. He then escapes and wonders through Rome. The police pick him up and his superior officers find him and propose a deal.

7. He can either vouch for their scheme, that will keep all of his friends from being allowed to go home, or he can go to jail. He decides to break the rule of catch-22 and he escapes to neutral Sweden. This book answered my big question by showing me that people who experience war can become very resistant to putting their life on the line for other people.

8. The second novel that I read was “The Red Badge of Courage.” This book was about a soldier who was afraid of being afraid. He was scared that when the time to fight came, he would run. So the first fight comes and they win, but the next one comes and he doesn’t think they can win, so he runs. After he escapes he is picked up by a medical camp, where he sees one of his friends. Later he sees his friend die, and he decides to leave the camp.

9. He wanders through the forest until he reaches his old unit. He rejoins them and the next fight he channels his rage from his friend’s death into his fighting, and he fights very bravely. This book answered my big question by showing me that some soldiers begin to lose a grip on reality after their friends have died, and begin to value their life less.

10. The third book that I read was “Slaughterhouse-Five.” This book is about a soldier who is captured during battle and spends some time in a POW camp. After a while the allies come and bomb the camp. Him and several people take shelter in a meat freezer. When they come out, the allies have taken over and his time in the war is done. After he returns home he is still stricken with memories from war and they plague him for the rest of his life. This book showed me that soldiers often suffer PTSD in the form of flashback and mental distress.

11. This book showed me that soldiers often suffer PTSD in the form of flashback and mental distress.

12. Through this research I learned that people who suffer from PTSD are often immobilized by fears of their traumatic experience.

13. My big question was answered by my research. The research showed that people who experience war are often affected by the war for many years after they return home.