What happens to soldiers with PTSD?
In soldiers, typical symptoms of PTSD include anxiety, nervousness in crowds, depression, flashbacks, nightmares, trouble concentrating, difficulty sleeping, feelings of detachment, irritability, and unusual behaviour. Such unusual behaviour includes reports of soldiers who, after returning home, continue to drive in the middle of the road to avoid roadside bombs, or scan the sides of roads and crowded areas for perceived dangers. Traumatised soldiers also exhibit noticeably high rates of alcoholism, crime, homelessness, drug abuse and violence (such as that shown by Tobor, Thorson and Russell). Often soldiers with no history of depression or anxiety have committed suicide, indicating it’s an impulsive act due the circumstances they’re in. To psychologists, this means they just need help to get through that crucial period, as their history suggests they will be stable in the future. Treatment Psychologists say simply letting a soldier to sit in a restaurant with their back to the wall
