The Consequences Of 9/11: The War On Terror And PTSD | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

The Consequences Of 9/11: The War On Terror And PTSD

Fourteen years after Sept. 11, many soldiers remain directly affected by the War on Terror that emerged after the attacks.

629
The Consequences Of 9/11: The War On Terror And PTSD

This past Friday the nation commemorated the anniversary of Sept. 11.

Fourteen years ago, terrorists hijacked four commercial planes, two of which crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost in the deadliest attack on American soil in history.

The international military campaign known as the War on Terrorism began after the events of Sept. 11. The United States, along with a coalition of other countries, sought to destroy al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations responsible for the attacks.

Reflections on the post-9/11 Iraq and Afghanistan wars are often centered on the political, legal, and conceptual struggle against terrorism, its legitimacy, and economic consequence.

The impact of these wars on soldiers are often overlooked.

Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) are the longest combat operations since the Vietnam War: producing a new generation of veterans with chronic mental health problems associated with participation in combat.

PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is an anxiety disorder that can occur following the experience of witnessing life-threatening events such as military combat.

According to Dr. Shira Maguen, a psychologist at the San Francisco Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center: "During war military service members are exposed to a number of potentially traumatic events--ones in which the individual's life is in critical danger, he or she is seriously injured, and/or there is a threat to physical integrity, either to one's self or to others."

A RAND study found that one in five veterans deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan suffered from PTSD or major depression. These rates are somewhat similar to those reported in other scientific studies.

Among veterans seen at VA healthcare facilities, 25 percent received mental health diagnoses, with 56 percent of these meeting criteria for two or more mental health diagnoses.

People who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged, and these symptoms can be severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the person’s daily life.

It is very common for other conditions to occur along with PTSD, such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse. A recent study of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan found 39 percent for probable alcohol abuse, and three percent for probable drug abuse.

50 percent of those with PTSD do not seek treatment. There are many reasons that returning veterans do not seek mental health care, including common fears of being seen as weak.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health ("Estimating the Risk of Suicide Among US Veterans"), an estimated 5,000 veterans die by suicide each year. The VA's Suicide Data Report, 2012 found a higher figure, 22 suicides per day, or 8,000 per year. The VA study also recorded 11,000 non-fatal suicide attempts a year.

Each year as we remember the events of Sept. 11, not only should we pay our respects to the victims and the families directly affected, but we should also consider the consequences of the attacks and how many people continue to suffer because of them--including the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who struggle with PTSD.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

712
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

2040
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2605
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments