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Apr-21-2009 07:25printcomments

PTSD: Is it a Psychosis?

This article is Dr. Leveque's response to the recent developments in Pennsylvania regarding Sgt. Nicholas Horner, who is accused of Murdering two people.

American soldiers in Iraq, August 2008
American soldiers in Iraq, August 2008
Salem-News.com photos by Tim King

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - PTSD is NOT a single specific entity. As a Combat Infantryman I saw several different versions. “Combat fatigue” doesn’t cover it.

As Infantrymen we were almost always exhausted. “Shellshock” is most likely concussion replaced now by “traumatic brain injury” (TBI). “Terror fatigue” is a cause not an effect but many may disagree with me. Who wants to get killed or worse, severely disabled wounded.

I’m looking through my Merck Manual – Psychiatric Disorders – to see what shows up. There area lot of them, almost too many to itemize.

Psychosomatic disorders covers a lot of ground. Your brain may tell you to have a bellyache. One of my guys had extreme Colitis and diarrhea.

He was no good even to himself. Some guys turn mute and stare at the horizon – the thousand yard stare (see my article: PTSD: Overlooked Research)

Dr. Phil Leveque Salem-News.com). Hypochondria which is complaining about something with NO signs or symptoms. Is that “Soldiers heart”?

Maybe it’s anxiety disorder. There was an awful lot of that. “Will the next barrage get me – yes probably!”

Is it depression. Maybe – most of us were just pissed off at the way things were going and continued.

Was it suicidal behavior? There is a lot of that going on. Is it related to substance abuse? I’m leaving out marijuana but when alcohol was available most of us got smashed even in basic training.

Schizophrenia also covers a lot of ground with delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking (usually an officers disease), inappropriate behavior (like walking into a mine field). Paranoia fits well into the life of an Infantryman only we KNOW somebody is trying to kill us.

The alert and/or experienced reader may logically wonder what am I getting to. In the first place all of the aberrations I have written about above are most likely in the same package which we call a skull and they are very burdensome for an Infantryman to have to carry around.

We are taught in basic training to HATE our enemies and it frequently turns out that they are our Sergeants, Lieutenants and possibly a few Captains, Majors and Colonels. They become very easy to hate. We are taught many ways to kill those we hate.

In Vietnam about 200 officers had hand grenade boobytraps put in their beds. We also found out from our buddy peers that the best way to put aside the hate and killer instinct was to get smashed on PX beer. For most rookies this was their first drunk.

Now then lets go overseas to a battle zone. There is plenty to hate over there both in front of one but also behind. Sometimes it’s called friendly fire but don’t get a machine gunner, mortorman or artilleryman mad at you.

As far as rear echelon officers are concerned they are probably more dangerous with really screwy orders. “Take that house with its machine guns even if it costs every man in your platoon”.

Ok your tour is over and back home. Your wife or girlfriend “thinks” you have changed and doesn’t want to have much to do with you, besides that you smell. “Sweety I smell because I missed you so much”.

This is where the hate and killer instinct comes in. “If you are not with me you are against me”.

Infantrymen have a short fuse, this is what kept them alive. Back home everything is available. Alcohol has become the infantryman’s tranquilizer but one can get drunk and dangerous even if he doesn’t want to. Being even a little bit drunk can be dangerous if there are cops and especially M.P.’s around.

What am I talking about? Serious crimes such as murder and shootouts by exquisitely trained soldiers and marines are frequently occurring. Suicides of these same guys are also frequent primed by mind bending or destroying medications from the VA.

One recent report by a PTSD Veteran said that he was given about 35 different meds by the VA and none worked or were satisfactory. That should surprise NO PTSD Veteran.

Here is the article on Sgt. Nick Horner: Iraq Vet in Pennsylvania Murders Was Radically Changed by War and PTSD - Tim King Salem-News.com

PTSD HAS A LOT TO CLAIM IT IS AS A PSYCHOSIS!

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Do you have a a question, comment, or story to share with Dr. Leveque?
Email him:
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More information on the history of Dr. Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of WWII about his own experiences "from a foxhole".
Order the book by mail by following this link: Dogface Soldier

If you are a World War II history buff, you don't want to miss it.

Watch for more streaming video question and answer segments about medical marijuana with Bonnie King and Dr. Phil Leveque.

Click on this link for other articles and video segments about PTSD and medical marijuana on Salem-News.com:
Dr. Leveque INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES

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Anonymous April 21, 2009 1:38 pm (Pacific time)

Anyone have sources on "fragging" that may have happened in Vietnam? I know of one celebrated case during the start of the Iraq war, but have not heard of others. 2oo frags in Vietnam, is that a lot?


Another Vet April 21, 2009 11:19 am (Pacific time)

Amen to everything you said Dr. Leveque. We are fortunate to have your words since you have been there yourself.

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