Peter:
>> It 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.

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.

>PTSD is a NORMAL reaction to abnormal stimuli.

It is not that clear cut.  After the big earthquake in Los Angeles a few
years ago some many people suffered from PTSD for months, even years
afterwards.  Among those who did there was a high representation of
women/men who as children had been sexually molested. The powerlessness
they felt during the earthquake resonated with and re-stimulated the
feelings of powerlessness they had felt when abused as children.  This,
naturally, did not happen to all victims of sexual abuse but mainly to
those who had not dealt with it adequately and/or whose present life
circumstances were unsafe/unstable.

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

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.

>Because the Veterans organizations have been infaltrated by Vietnam Vet
>wannabees the true picture of PTSD has been clouded by misinformation.
>Many of the REMFs or rear echelon mutha fuckas who saw no action also
>cloud the issue with statements like Vietnam didn't affect me" so everyone
>else must have had crummy childhoods.

If I had known the subject was surrounded with so much controversy, I would
have expressed myself with a little more delicacy.  However, I would be
surprised if not at least a few of the researchers in the field have taken
these issues into account.  If you could point to any source of information
that might shed some light on the issue, it would be much appreciated.

>By the way the Vietnam Vets were never officially honoured and had to
>construct their own memorial and organize their own parades.

That is very sad.  Even though it was a meaningless and disgraceful war,
the heroic efforts of Vietnam vets deserve to be properly recognized.

>Sorry to be off-topic, but this little point had to be cleared up.

Susan, I am glad you spoke up.  I apologize for any pain or embarrassment
my careless remarks might have caused.

Best, Peter
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