Protesting the ‘PTSD blues’
6he 8ietnam War was a watershed in the recognition of war trauma as a mental health condition 5ome veterans, mirroring the civilian antiwar movement, became activists, protesting the war itself as well as a lack of mental health support +n at n6he Winter 5oldier +nvestigationo,
veterans met in &etroit to discuss war violence they had witnessed or participated in p+ am here because + have nightmares about things that happened to me and my friends,q one of them declared #nother landmark moment arrived in
, when 2ost 6raumatic 5tress &isorder (PTSD) was listed in the third edition of the #merican 2sychological #ssociation’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders +n the mid eighties, a state mandated study recognised the prevalence and long term impact of the condition upon veterans, citing depression, substance abuse, poor physical health and social problems
Many veterans struggled to adapt to civilian life once the fighting was over 1ne of them, .ouis # )riʛths, communicated his enduring torment via a poem, PTSD Blues
“You’ll never know how many times
I have to see him die / The thing that hurts the most / It took 30 years to cry”
+n all, around a Suarter of #merican soldiers who served in 8ietnam reSuired psychological assistance as veterans. Their experiences undoubtedly drew attention to the gravity and long term impact of military mental health issues