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Suicide In Vietnam War Essay

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The amount of PTSD related suicides is unbelievable which is represented in the statistics. According to neuroscientists, “Since 2001 over 2.5 million troops have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, many of whom have experienced direct combat and sustained threat estimates of PTSD rates related to these wars range from 8% to over 20%, or 192,000 to 480,000 individuals” (Wangelin, Tuerk 161). This is a shocking percentage to deal with in relation to the last large conflict that produced a large number of PTSD afflicted veterans, which was the Vietnam War at roughly 10% of veterans reporting PTSD related illness. In relation to these statistics, military suicide rates also doubled between 2001 and 2006, with more fatalities attributed to suicide …show more content…

suicide rates are double, maybe even triple Civil War rates. There were more documented military suicides in 2010 alone than the entire four years of the Civil War, as 295 service members committed suicide in 2010 versus the 278 documented suicides in Union soldiers during the entire Civil War with force sizes being relatively equal during both wars. Researchers have tried to identify exactly why there has been a dramatic increase in PTSD in modern times versus the past, but a variety of factors complicate the issue with any number of stressors capable of being the culprit, from military training, to overseas deployment, to the transition back to civilian life, to combat itself. These numbers reflect a dangerous crisis as it demonstrates a need for care and services for not only the new generation of veterans, but an increased need for care on top of the necessary aid provided to Vietnam War Veterans who continue to suffer from PTSD as well, even today. These statistics thus reflect a problem for not only the military service members of today, but the service members of tomorrow as well, as whatever factors increase the risk of PTSD today will most likely increase the rate of veterans suffering from PTSD in years to come unless the reasons for this increase can be pinpointed and specifically

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