This week I read an article talking about the effects that the Iraq War has had on our soldiers. The first thing it talks about is how when a person returns home, he or she still may not be over the horrible thing that is war. The article say that the road back home, and back to normal involves, "Usually [involves] some degree of anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts or flashbacks, and nightmares, as the most common symptoms. Fear and anger are also common." (Harris). The article says that it is almost necessary to be treated when arriving home from war. It says their are three ways to treat the soldier. The first being Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), this is where you go to a therapist and he or she shows you a better way to deal with trauma. The therapist also helps with the soldiers stress (Harris). The next way of helping a soldier become "normal" again is through the Exposure Therapy. This helps a patient by talking about whatever that person wants to get out of their system, involving trauma and other terrible thing from the war. The last treatment, which usually is a sort of "last resort", is medication. The medication is usually something serotonin, used to help a person feel better (Harris).
I used this article because it shows how a war can have an intense effect on a soldier in great detail. This shows that a person has to have a form of treatment, if not they are at risk of something as small as an "interference in the person's everyday life to the possibility of suicide" (Harris). Another thing that I liked about this article was how it showed the way to treat post-war trauma. The three ways to help get over the trauma can take some time. And that is what makes the post-war trauma so bad. The article did a great job of showing just how serious it is to go to war, and to come home.
Harris, Sherry. "Emotional Effects of War on Soldiers - It Can Be a Real Battle." (2008): n. pag. Web. 1 Apr 2010.
