A Firsthand View of PTSD
In the winter history elective “America in Vietnam,” students study Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a common affliction among combat veterans that was officially identified following the Vietnam War. Since then, PTSD has continued to challenge veterans and their families and is linked strongly with veteran suicide and drug and alcohol abuse.
The relevance of the issue was brought to life for Groton students with the visit of former U.S. Marine Richard Brewer. Following his time with the Marines in Beirut, Lebanon, Mr. Brewer suffered from PTSD and eventually founded an organization now known as One Warrior Won, which helps veterans with PTSD and educates others on the origins and effects of the disorder. In his first meeting with our class, Mr. Brewer presented an outline of the human brain and described how combat triggers the "survival brain" even after a return to civil society. He spoke about his inability to sleep properly or to play catch with his daughter without mistaking the ball for a mortar round.
In the evening, in a packed Webb-Marshall Room, Mr. Brewer questioned the classification of PTSD as a mental illness and the portrayal of many combat veterans with PTSD as “crazy.” He explained that PTSD is a combat injury, but that unlike many physical injuries sustained in action, it leaves a lasting psychological impact.
A lively and engaging speaker, Mr. Brewer emphasized the importance of education when it comes to helping victims of PTSD. Because so few Americans have experienced combat, there is a general lack of understanding about the psychological wounds of war. This, he said, combined with the media’s frequent portrayal of veterans as unstable, has created a culture to which many veterans cannot adjust. Mr. Brewer presented an eye-opening and powerful perspective on an extremely relevant issue in our society.—Baheya Malaty '13
(Photo by Danielle Kimball '13)
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In the evening, in a packed Webb-Marshall Room, Mr. Brewer questioned the classification of PTSD as a mental illness and the portrayal of many combat veterans with PTSD as “crazy.” He explained that PTSD is a combat injury, but that unlike many physical injuries sustained in action, it leaves a lasting psychological impact.
A lively and engaging speaker, Mr. Brewer emphasized the importance of education when it comes to helping victims of PTSD. Because so few Americans have experienced combat, there is a general lack of understanding about the psychological wounds of war. This, he said, combined with the media’s frequent portrayal of veterans as unstable, has created a culture to which many veterans cannot adjust. Mr. Brewer presented an eye-opening and powerful perspective on an extremely relevant issue in our society.—Baheya Malaty '13
(Photo by Danielle Kimball '13)
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