Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans over Time.

"This is a research paper I did for one of my classes. It received a very good response so I thought you all might be interested. Please don't steal this!! Write me if you want to use it.

Surviving combat is what all of us who have been there wished for. Guaranteed, though, that someone you know well wont. If you have a job that places you in constant contact with combat or its aftermath, you will see the resulting death and devastation. This wears heavily on everyone especially seeing the death of the vulnerable, children, or the elderly. How we are able to deal with it is where we begin to have issues.

The phrase "time heals all wounds" has been permanently attached to the vernacular as the solution to all psychological problems. The idea that the passage of time will miraculously cause an erasure of painful memories may ring true for a lost job or a relationship, but what of truly traumatic events such as the stress suffered in combat or a terrorist attack. It has gone by many names: combat fatigue, shell shock, and battle stress."
A Candle in the Dark

Long, but worth it.