The Psychological Shadow of American GIs After the Vietnam War Post traumatic stress disorder trigge

Mondo Health Updated on 2024-01-29

The Vietnam War, a harrowing war, took away not only 5The lives of 80,000 American GIs left a deep psychological wound after the war. This article will delve into the aftermath of the war, the post-war psychological syndrome, and why the suicide rate of American GIs returning from the Vietnam War remained high.

The psychology after the life-and-death struggle is difficult to let go.

During the Vietnam War, American GIs experienced brutal life-and-death struggles on the battlefield and witnessed the tragic scenes of the war, which put them under great psychological pressure. I feel like I'm on the verge of life and death all the time, and war has become a state of life. However, when the war ended, the stress suddenly disappeared, and the body could not immediately adapt to the stress-free state, causing many soldiers to be irritable and change their personalities drastically.

Those who are strong in adjustment may be able to get out of the shadow of war, but some GIs with weak self-adjustment ability can not bear the huge psychological torture and choose to end themselves. Even if some soldiers have adjusted after the war, facing the sadness and frustration of later life, the images of the battlefield will still come to their minds, such as the fallen comrades and the hateful eyes of the enemy, pushing them to make the choice to end their lives.

Why is the suicide of American GIs who returned from the Vietnam War more prominent?

The reason why the suicide rate of American GIs who returned from the Vietnam War is more prominent is intertwined with multiple reasons.

1.Lack of heroic respect.

Unlike American soldiers who were treated as heroes after World War II, GIs who returned from the Vietnam War did not receive the same respect. This stems from the peculiarities of the Vietnam War, which was different from the just wars of World War II, which was actually an intervention in the civil wars of other countries and was seen as a crude aggression. As a result, American GIs in the Vietnam War were denied heroic treatment and faced even greater contempt in a society with high anti-war sentiment.

2.The shame of defeat.

In the Vietnam War, the United States sent a huge number of troops, but failed to win the war for eight years, and finally left in disgrace, watching North Vietnam unify the whole of Vietnam. This defeat brought humiliation to the Vietnam War veterans, and the anti-war sentiment at home and abroad was high, forming a general contempt for these veterans. This sense of defeat further contributed to the feeling of social abandonment and psychological intolerance for American GIs who returned from the Vietnam War.

3.Difficulty in finding employment.

When Vietnam veterans returned home, although the United States provided some benefits to retired veterans, it was not enough to meet their needs. Most of these veterans are older and lack highly skilled professions, making it difficult to find jobs in high-tech fields. At the same time, some professions with better pay, such as accountants, lawyers, doctors, etc., require professional qualifications, and these GIs are only specialized in fighting wars and have little use in a peaceful society.

As a result, Vietnam veterans faced difficulties in psychological adjustment after the war, which, combined with the difficulty of finding a job, led to an extremely bad mood. Feeling abandoned by society, life has lost its direction, and suicide has become an outlet for the unfortunate choice of some Vietnam War veterans.

Epilogue. The wave of suicides of American GIs after the Vietnam War was an interweaving of psychological trauma and social dilemma. Post-war psychological syndrome, lack of respect, the stigma of failure, and employment difficulties all contributed to this tragedy. For this group of veterans who sacrificed their lives for the country, we should pay more attention to their mental health and provide them with more support and respect to help them come out of the shadow of war.

This article profoundly describes the psychological dilemma and suicide faced by American GIs after the Vietnam War, which is thought-provoking. First, the authors forcefully point out the significant impact of post-war psychological syndrome in this population. Through the brutal scenes of war and life-and-death struggles, these soldiers were deeply traumatized, and after the war, they needed to adapt to a stress-free life, and the psychological impact and distress brought by this process are vividly described in the article.

Notably, the article highlights the reasons for the high suicide rate of GIs in the United States after the Vietnam War. Among them, the lack of heroic respect is an important aspect. Unlike American soldiers who were treated as heroes after World War II, Vietnam veterans did not receive social recognition and respect after returning home, but instead faced negative social evaluations. This not only exacerbates their psychological stress, but also makes them feel abandoned by society, which in turn leads to suicidal tendencies.

The article also points out the impact of the defeat in the Vietnam War on the psychology of veterans. The defeat in the Vietnam War brought great humiliation to these soldiers, and the widespread anti-war sentiment in society made them the target of public criticism. This sense of failure is not only psychologically devastating, but also makes them feel unable to integrate into society, which increases their psychological burden.

Finally, the difficulty of finding employment is also one of the factors contributing to the high suicide rate among Vietnam War veterans. The article points out that these veterans find it difficult to find adaptable jobs in a peaceful society, and their lack of professional qualifications makes it more difficult for them to reintegrate into society. This phenomenon reflects the long-term effects of war on individuals, especially in the area of employment.

Overall, this article provides a deeper understanding of the profound impact of war on individuals by providing an in-depth analysis of the psychological condition of American GIs after the Vietnam War. While focusing on this issue, we should think about how to provide more comprehensive psychological support and social care for these veterans, so as to help them better adapt and integrate into a peaceful society. This is also an appeal to our entire social responsibility, hoping that in the future social construction, more attention can be paid to the care and support of these once heroic soldiers.

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