They say that in war, nobody really wins but everyone becomes a victim of man's atrocities and evil doings against each other. War is a complex web of tragedies one after another. Violations of human rights is prevalent as well as oppression, sexual abuse of women, deaths and massacres. Surviving the horrible memories of war can cause severe stress and anxiety to an individual which may lead to other serious medical conditions.



Reliving the harrowing experience of war has become a daily nightmare to many military and civilian survivors, men and women, young and old alike. For a long time, they will always remember the sounds of gunfire and bomb explosions ricocheting in their heads day in and day out. They were witnesses to their beloved friends, families, and relatives who were being gunned down to death or getting dismembered. Scenes of burying their own dead in open trenches continue to flash back in their minds. Soldiers are haunted by episodes of being forced to shoot innocent civilians, including women and children. All in the name of duty.

Most war survivors suffer from emotional and psychological disorder such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Though PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans or survivors, it can also result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as rape, torture, being kidnapped or held hostage, child abuse, vehicular accidents, plane crashes, even natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs when a terrifying ordeal involving physical harm or the threat of physical harm happens to a person. The person may have been the one who was harmed or the harm may have happened to a loved one. It can also happen to a person who witnessed a traumatic event that happened to loved ones or strangers.

Like other people who are suffering from PTSD, these war veterans or survivors startle easily and can become emotionally numb especially in relation to people with whom they used to be close. They tend to lose interest in the things they once valued and enjoyed. They have a hard time showing affection, and can be easily irritated due to stress and anxiety, and may become more aggressive to the point of being violent.

It is possible that a traumatized person may not develop into full-blown PTSD. For a case to be considered PTSD, symptoms should last more than a month. Usually, these symptoms appears within the first 3 months after the incident happened, or it could manifest several years later. Recovery from the condition may vary as some may overcome PTSD within a span of 6 months while others may be longer which can become chronic.

War veterans and survivors with PTSD experience severe headaches and anxiety attacks. They cry night and day. They tend to sweat heavily, get easily depressed, and seems to be always in pain. They develop phobias which are irrational fears. Afraid of being alone in the dark or sleeping at night to avoid nightmares about war. Some war veterans have fear of heights due to terrible memories of parachute jumps. These painful memories are called flashbacks and may consist of images, sounds, smells, or feelings, which are often triggered by ordinary occurrences. A loud noise from a door slamming or a car tire explosion can trigger flashbacks resulting to panic attacks. A person having a flashback may lose touch with reality and believe that the traumatic incident is happening all over again.

Antidepressant drugs can help ease the ever present aching wounds of war to induce sleep to those who are suffering from insomnia, as well as to relieve their daily stress and anxiety. Various psychotherapy programs are being studied and developed not just to bring modest relief from stress and anxiety but to effect noticeable changes in the lives of these emotionally battered and perhaps physically disabled survivors of war.