Tag Archives: PTSD

Suicide: Pain, Suffering, and Prevention

In a comedic piece about euphemisms, George Carlin reminded us that what we now call Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, was called “shell shock” in World War I and “battle fatigue” in World War II and “operational exhaustion” during the Korean War.  Carlin reminded us that buried under all this jargon is the pain and… Read More: Suicide: Pain, Suffering, and Prevention »

The Purple Heart and PTSD

In the News and Opinions section of its January 23 issue, The Week magazine reports that the Pentagon has decided soldiers afflicted with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are not eligible for a Purple Heart because, the Pentagon claims, “psychic wounds are hard to diagnose.” A study by the Rand Corporation estimates 300,000 U.S. troops have… Read More: The Purple Heart and PTSD »