PostTraumatic Stress Disorder and Vietnam Veterans Essay -- Vietnam Wa

The power of the human brain is a mystery of science. For example, while certain parts of the brain are well known to control certain bodily functions, the brain's memory capacity is just now being discovered. Scientists believe that only a small fraction of the brain is actually used, and its potential power is much greater than one may expect or believe. Its ability to view and store information is still not totally understood by scientists today. This causes a special problem in the treatment certain mental illnesses such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a reaction to a traumatic event in which death, serious injury, or the threat of either is present. The most common occurrence of this illness is among veterans of war, and it is very common among those who served in Vietnam. Vietnam veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and do not receive medical treatment are at a high risk of suicide and other horrible demises. They become despondent and hard to talk to. It is as if the sufferers of PTSD are in a different reality. The traumatic events play back in their mind and they have a tough time relating with people. Louise Erdrich illustrates this in "The Red Convertible." The short story is about two teenage Native American boys, Lyman and Henry, and the bond of their love for each other symbolized by a red convertible. One summer they buy a red convertible and travel across North America. When they return home, the older of the two, Henry, gets drafted in the war and spends up to three years in Vietnam with several of them as a POW. When he comes back, the effects of PTSD are obvious, but medical treatment is unavailable to him on his reservat... ...ther kind of trauma related illness to its veterans, Vietnam raised true awareness of the disorder in the United States and around the world. The treatment or lack there of treatment Vietnam veterans received, directly reflected the outcome of their lives. For those represented by Henry, who were impoverished minorities lacking proper care and medical help, the outcome was almost certainly death or at best a long battle with substance abuse or ones own mind. The aftermath of Vietnam showed the government how to treat its future veterans after their wartime experiences. It also caused them to rethink the level of causalities in future wars (Knox 112). Through the use of medicines, counseling, and a fairer distribution of veteran benefits, the next group of war veterans should have a better outlook to the future and the ability to lead productive postwar lives.