Word: ptsd
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Quinlan, who still suffers from nightmares induced by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), says of his own return, "I felt like a bag of shit...
...Steinberg, who suffers from PTSD as a result of his service in the Navy during the Vietnam War, is more pessimistic about the new veterans' future. "They'll be well received, but they're still going to have to go through the same bullshit years down the road...
...PTSD is the modern term for what used to be called battle fatigue or shell shock. A congressional study in 1988 found that about 479,000 of the nation's 3.5 million or so Vietnam vets are afflicted with serious cases; an additional 350,000 display more moderate symptoms. PTSD is a state of extreme arousal caused by the virtual nonstop release of adrenaline and other similar substances into the bloodstream. When cars backfire, PTSD patients generally hit the dirt. The sound of helicopter rotor blades causes some to conceal themselves in trees. A baby's cry can invoke instant...
...Vietnam, PTSD was often caused by the prolonged stress of trying to survive an ambush or a fire fight. Bill Ralph developed his case riding shotgun on fuel trucks engaged in night resupply missions. For seven of the 18 years he has lived in Hawaii, Ralph occupied an 8-ft. by 12-ft. hilltop shack. If a stranger approached, Ralph would slip into the jungle, his knife at the ready. "I didn't even know I was sick," he says. "I just thought I was a little different...
...25th Infantry Division near the Viet Cong stronghold of Cu Chi, has been denied benefits because his job description shows he was a radar operator. Yurong, now known simply as Nano, was pressed into service, he says, as an infantryman throughout his tour. The VA grants that he has PTSD but says he must have contracted it elsewhere. Such arguments enrage V.F.W. activist Cowan. "When you first go to the VA, you are denied benefits. Fifty percent of the vets don't go back. The second time you are denied, you lose another 25%," he says. "You must be willing...