Peter writes:

 >> I find it very telling that of the Vietnam vets who were in combat,
 only the ones who had dysfunctional backgrounds were afflicted with PTSD
 (post traumatic stress syndrome) when they came home after the war.  They
were defenseless to the horror of  the war and took it personally because with
their previous painful experiences in life, their systems short circuited
under the compounded overload.

 Susan:
 >I hope there are no combat Vietnam Vets on this list, because they would
> be insulted by the above untrue statements.

Peter:  I apologize for any lack of sensitivity on my part.  What I was trying
to  say was that somebody previously traumatized has a lower threshold for
 future stress.

Gerry:
Long-time P.O.W. (7 years, I believe) former Alabama Senator Jeremiah Denton
said in his book: "When Hell Was In Session," (and in LIVE interviews) the
memory and security of his early childhood and deep-seated religious beliefs
were what brought him through the horror of abuse and isolation he suffered as
a P.O.W.

Gerry: Also, former P.O.W. and journalist, Terry Anderson, said he was pretty
much agnostic before becoming a prisoner, but he became a "believer" while in
captivity. Locked away in filthy dungeons, beaten and sometimes starved, he
said he survived by forging friendships with other P.O.W.s whenever possible,
and through memories of his mate, loving relationships, and thoughts of the
child that was born during his absence. He says he holds no bitter memories or
grudges against his captors.


Susan: >In other words the veteran saw TOO MUCH (horror overload) and reacts
 accordingly.

Peter:  I am not judging anybody's reaction.  Even psychosis can be a
completely  appropriate reaction under a horrific and torturous circumstance such as
 brutal warfare. But it still does not explain why not everybody under the
 exact same gruesome scenarios ends up with PTSD.  Lack of genetic
 disposition and/or a solid supportive network to return to are, naturally,
 also factors in the equation.

Gerry: The "recovery" of the above noted former P.O.W.s and others would seem
to support studies that indicate the importance of having a secure and stable
childhood in order to sustain one through unusual and traumatic circumstances.
For what it's worth: Gerry