War is a situation or a period of fighting between countries or groups of people. War generally involves the use of weapons and military organisations. It can be seen as a situation where a nation enforces its rights by using force. From the medieval holy crusades fought on horse-back right down to the Cold War where powerful nations are engaged in an arms race, wars have been around for a long time now. The most modern version would be the proxy wars where powerful nations back the opposing sides in a conflict zone. Wars cause a high level of collateral damage causing loss of life and property. It is also common for war veterans to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), often called shell shock or combat stress occurs after someone experiences severe trauma or a life-threatening event. It’s normal for our mind and body to be in shock after such an event, but this normal response becomes PTSD when your nervous system seems to get stuck. People suffering from the condition may be jumpy and emotionally reactive all the time and get negative thoughts. They might keep seeing recurrent images of the trauma they have gone through as well. It becomes really hard to live with untreated PTSD and it is easy to get discouraged and attempt suicide.
Brian Walker, a graduate student in the Master of Public Policy program at the Northeastern University, is a veteran who served the United States Army for 8 years. He was discharged in 2007 and has faced difficulties: struggling with reintegrating into society to losing his job in the 2009 financial crisis. He is working towards the development of a better Veterans Affairs (VA) policy in the United States. As a part of the plan, he aims to establish more VA Medical Centers with highly specialised personnel to ensure that war veterans are provided with the best support possible.
Harman Singh
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