Discovering Invisible Wounds: Discovering and Comparing PTSD in Civil War Veterans and Vietnam Veterans
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
Ellensburg
Event Website
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source
Start Date
15-5-2019
End Date
15-5-2019
Abstract
Civil War veterans were the first to be recognized as having a mental disruption post war. Men were placed in asylums or used alcohol and other sedatives to numb themselves from the flashbacks and inner turmoil left from their memories of the battle field. Yet it was not until during the Vietnam War when veterans began coming home in the 1960’s that the larger population opened its eyes to the issues these men were facing. Though both groups of men fought very different wars and in very different circumstances, the actions and social changes would affect these veterans and their mental health post-war. The establishment of asylums and other sanctuaries following the civil war, opened a door to the future research and recognition of the mental effects of war. The definition of PTSD and the research into treatment for this mental disorder began with Vietnam veteran and carried on the conversation into both the past and the present. Through transcription of the letters written by Cassius Hibbard, a Union soldier who fought in battles across Tennessee and the anecdotes of Gerald Minters, a Vietnam veteran who struggles with his memories of war, I analyze the hints at the presents of post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Research into PTSD helps the population understand the impacts of war, past and present, and address the residual effects to better understand our veterans.
Recommended Citation
McMullen, Victoria, "Discovering Invisible Wounds: Discovering and Comparing PTSD in Civil War Veterans and Vietnam Veterans" (2019). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 92.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2019/Oralpres/92
Department/Program
History
Slides for SOURCE 2019 presentation McMullen
Additional Files
Hibbard Presentation VM.pptx (1299 kB)Slides for SOURCE 2019 presentation McMullen
Discovering Invisible Wounds: Discovering and Comparing PTSD in Civil War Veterans and Vietnam Veterans
Ellensburg
Civil War veterans were the first to be recognized as having a mental disruption post war. Men were placed in asylums or used alcohol and other sedatives to numb themselves from the flashbacks and inner turmoil left from their memories of the battle field. Yet it was not until during the Vietnam War when veterans began coming home in the 1960’s that the larger population opened its eyes to the issues these men were facing. Though both groups of men fought very different wars and in very different circumstances, the actions and social changes would affect these veterans and their mental health post-war. The establishment of asylums and other sanctuaries following the civil war, opened a door to the future research and recognition of the mental effects of war. The definition of PTSD and the research into treatment for this mental disorder began with Vietnam veteran and carried on the conversation into both the past and the present. Through transcription of the letters written by Cassius Hibbard, a Union soldier who fought in battles across Tennessee and the anecdotes of Gerald Minters, a Vietnam veteran who struggles with his memories of war, I analyze the hints at the presents of post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Research into PTSD helps the population understand the impacts of war, past and present, and address the residual effects to better understand our veterans.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2019/Oralpres/92
Faculty Mentor(s)
Daniel Herman