Post-traumatic stress disorder and the Vietnam veteran: Indentification of symptomatology for the mental health professional

The war in Vietnam has left enormous emotional scars on America (Goderez, 1987). One facet of this tragedy is the fact that there are more than 500,000 Vietnam Veterans who are suffering delayed war stress (Goodwin, 1980). These veterans experience bad dreams, insomnia, uncontrollable anxiety, and depression. Often they are tormented with flashbacks. Many are afflicted by drug and/or alcohol addictions. Collectively, these stresses contribute to the fact that the Vietnam veteran\u27s risk of suicide is 23% greater than is true for the general American population (Blair & Hildreth, 1991; Goodwin, 1980; Shore, 1986)