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Introduction
A ragged band of prehistoric Cro-Magnon
men scouts an unknown forest in search of food for their tribe. Slowly,
the hunters push through the leafy underbrush, their senses tuned and
alert to any movement. Vision limited to a few meters in the
primeval woodland, the men maneuver stealthily so as not to alarm their
quarry and fail in their quest. Soon, they hear sounds of movement
in the near distance. However, these animals do not behave in
the accustomed fashion, and as the hunters become more vigilant, their
brains discharge even more adrenaline into their bodies.
Suddenly, the men are assailed by a terrifying
clamor, and a hail of spears and stones rains down on them from every
direction. In an instant, the hunting band is reduced by half,
the savaged bodies of tribal confederates litter the ground, and the
acrid tang of fear hovers in the air. During the first moments
of the sudden attack, the men are physically and psychologically incapable
of immediate response, and now, even though potent neurochemicals released
into their systems enable the men to act in self-defense, eons of evolution
have limited their options to three. The hunters will fight,
flee or freeze, and in seconds, each man chooses his own course of
action. As the brief but deadly battle develops, the hunters – themselves
now killers – wreak havoc on their assailants. The men
slash, grapple and strike the enemy. Horror all around, psychologically,
each man retreats into one of the three protective options. Some
will fight with unexpected bloodlust and determination. Others
will turn away from the sights, sounds and smells of human carnage
to ensure they live through the day. Still others will freeze. Incapable
of action, they will not defend themselves but instead psychologically
shut out the overwhelming butchery.
When the fighting ends, the surviving
constituents assess the damage, bind their wounds and head for home. From
the first moments of the attack, preservation of life was each man’s
goal, and each survivor rejoices in his durability. However,
the men will bear the burden of the memories of the day’s violent
encounter. For some, fading body scars will provide lasting testimony
to the ferocity of the battle, but an unfortunate few, psychologically
wounded, will suffer the pain of combat for life.
“What’s
wrong with Dad? I don’t understand why he does those
things.”
“Aunt Marion
is so unhappy. Will she ever find joy in her life?”
“The
whole family was devastated when Roger took his life. Why? He
had so much going for him.”
Living in the shadowy interior of the
brain’s Limbic System and to the untrained eye invisible, posttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) reaches beyond its stricken victims negatively
to influence family members and loved ones. For years,
families and friends have heard bits and pieces – snippets – of
wartime events the veterans faced in their lives. Grudgingly
revealed, generalized and non-specific, these anecdotes leave the veterans’ loved
ones yearning for more information, desperate to understand what made
the veterans who they are and if necessary for discovery, to know and
feel the horrors their husbands, daughters, sons, brothers or fathers
experienced. This book examines the life portraits of five courageous
veterans who suffer with posttraumatic stress order and provides a
roadmap to gain understanding of PTSD’s insidious and often counterintuitive
symptoms.
Today,
an astonishing twenty-five percent of our brave American servicemen
and women return from Iraq and Afghanistan diagnosed with “psychological
problems,” and our hearts ache at the evidence of their struggle
to adjust to civilian life. Away from the blood, gore and bared
teeth of the combat zone and once again in a safe environment among
friends and family, still many experience difficult homecomings. Seemingly
uncomfortable in their own skin, they abuse alcohol and other drugs,
seek isolation from loved ones and randomly and for no apparent reason,
display levels of anger, even rage that frightens and confuses.
Are these
the same men and women who, a year earlier, kissed their loved ones,
winked, and then waved goodbye with optimistic smiles? Could
combat so dramatically change someone, or does wartime service create
a new, altogether different person? How? What happens? Who
gets PTSD and why? What does it look like? Can it be cured?
The answers
to these questions and a great many more are found within the pages
of this book. This exploration of PTSD’s myriad symptoms
and insidious effects will equip you to recognize the disorder in a
loved one, and through understanding, take positive steps to facilitate
the healing process.
To
explore fully the lifelong effects of war trauma in the twentieth century,
the focus necessarily must be on Vietnam veterans. Sadly, given
today’s course of events in Iraq and Afghanistan, thirty years
from now, researchers will have another generation of combat veterans
to study, but until that unhappy day, only Vietnam veterans provide
a lifetime of experience with war trauma from which we can learn a
great deal. Without compensation or promise of recognition, the
five combat veterans featured in this book courageously agreed to share
their life experiences, to re-live decades of fear, pain, bitter resentment,
hope and redemption so others can learn and future comrades in arms
will not suffer so greatly the anguish of Soldier’s Heart.
William
Schroder
Dr. Ron Dawe
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