10 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About The Vietnam War
4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Was Not A Vietnam War Phenomenon... It Had Affected Soldiers In Both World Wars As Well
Following US involvement in the Vietnam War, cases of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) rose exponentially and for the very first time this illness became commonly known. Yet PTSD was not just a Vietnam War phenomena - it affected many soldiers all around the world during World War I and World War II. PTSD then was termed "shell shock" though, and it was not adequately treated as a mental illness. The Vietnam War was no worse than the First or Second World Wars - on indeed any conflicts since - in terms of forcing mental illness upon soldiers. In fact, one positive to come out of it was that much greater investment was channeled towards medical research into PTSD, and soldiers are now given far greater post-service care than they have ever been afforded previously.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
Following US involvement in the Vietnam War, cases of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) rose exponentially and for the very first time this illness became commonly known. Yet PTSD was not just a Vietnam War phenomena - it affected many soldiers all around the world during World War I and World War II. PTSD then was termed "shell shock" though, and it was not adequately treated as a mental illness. The Vietnam War was no worse than the First or Second World Wars - on indeed any conflicts since - in terms of forcing mental illness upon soldiers. In fact, one positive to come out of it was that much greater investment was channeled towards medical research into PTSD, and soldiers are now given far greater post-service care than they have ever been afforded previously.