The novel “The Things They Carried”, written by Tim O’Brien, is a collection of linked short stories about a platoon of American soldiers during the Vietnam War. The American soldiers that fought in the Vietnam War faced many struggles, including death, the horrors of war, and a longing to return home. In order to cope with these horrors, many soldiers turned to drugs, whether it be a way to pass time, or a way to escape. In addition, many Vietnam War veterans were diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) upon their return home from war. By looking at the history of the Vietnam War and researching the rampant use of drugs and the vast amount of Vietnam War veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder, it will be easier to understand the actions and the personalities of the characters in Tim O’Brien’s novel. 

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is “a serious and potentially debilitating condition that can occur in people who have experienced a natural disaster, serious accident, terrorist incident, sudden death of a loved one, war, violent personal assault such as rape, or other life threatening events” (Anxiety and Depression Association of America). Victims of such tragic events that develop PTSD continue to be severely depressed and anxious for months, maybe years, after the event occurs. PTSD is only diagnosed when a person experiences symptoms of PTSD for at least one month after the occurrence of a traumatic event. It is characterized by three major symptom types which include: re-experiencing the trauma through recollections, flashbacks, and nightmares, emotional numbness coupled with avoidance of places, people, things, and activities that remind the victim of the trauma that occurred, and lastly, increased arousal such as difficulty sleeping, feeling jumpy, and being easily irritated or angered. 

Posttraumatic stress disorder commonly occurs in individuals who have experienced some sort of tragic loss in their lifetime. After the death of Ted Lavender, Norman Bowker responds with anger and when Kiowa wants to talk about Ted’s death, Norman lashes out at Kiowa and refuses to talk about the death of Ted. Norman’s avoidance of talking about Ted’s death matches two of the common symptoms of PTSD: avoiding situations that remind you of the event and increased arousal. By avoiding these situations, someone suffering from PTSD is attempting to save themselves from the pain of reliving the event or to prevent the triggering of flashbacks or painful memories. In addition, Norman becomes easily agitated when Kiowa brings up Ted and his increased arousal is a symptom of PTSD. This hyperarousal comes from the need to be alert during battle and the need to be alert/on the lookout for danger. These rushes of adrenaline cause a sufferer of PTSD to suddenly become angry or irritable, which explains Norman’s angry attitude towards Kiowa.

One of many elements that set the Vietnam War apart from other wars was the rampant drug use among soldiers. Marijuana was grown all over Vietnam and the easy access to the drug made smoking it a popular pastime for the American soldiers fighting overseas. When it was ruled that the use of marijuana was now a punishable offense under army rules, many soldiers turned to heroin, amphetamines, barbiturates, or they still indulged in the use of marijuana. Each of these drugs elicit side effects that taint the mental and physical health of the soldiers using them. The withdrawal symptoms of amphetamines include depression, disinterest in life, anxiety and severe fatigue (Effects of Amphetamine Abuse). Barbiturates cause anxiety, insomnia, tremors, delirium, and seizures among users (Effects of Barbiturates Abuse). Heroin causes users to fall into depression, develop insomnia, and become introverted (Drug Free World). When soldiers returned to America, they were often sick for months because they no longer had access to the drugs they used regularly while in combat in Vietnam. 

In “The Things They Carried”, drugs are used to provide humor as well as give insight into the characters’ lives and personalities. Ted Lavender was the platoon’s habitual drug user and when he is killed, the soldiers in Ted’s platoon all smoke what is left of Lavender’s marijuana. This portrayal of drug use shows that drugs were used as an escape mechanism during the way. Instead of mourning the loss of Ted Lavender, the platoon chooses instead to believe that he is ‘high’ or ‘higher’ than they are, which is an allusion to Heaven. 

When Norman Bowker returns home from war, he is devastated to find his ex-girlfriend, whom he is still in love with, married to another man. In addition, his father will not speak to him and he feels that his hometown is indifferent towards him because of the lack of support for the Vietnam War. Norman cannot talk to anyone he knows about his experiences in Vietnam, therefore he has conversations with imaginary people in order to talk about his time at war. Norman Bowker’s behavior after returning home from war can be classified as withdrawals from drug use. Barbiturates cause delirium, which is what prompts Bowker to talk to imaginary people instead of finding someone to talk to. Norman’s feelings of isolation and loneliness due to withdrawal from drug use cause him to believe that there is nothing in this world worth living for, and Bowker ends up killing himself. 

Norman Bowker also sends a letter to O’Brien before he commits suicide stating that he hasn’t found a way to make life meaningful after the war. The way that you think about yourself and others can change because of emotional/physical trauma. Norman exhibited symptoms of severe depression in her letter to O’Brien. His inability to keep a job or find motivation to finish school shows that Norman did not believe that life was worth living anymore. Depression is both a symptom of PTSD and a symptom of withdrawals from drug use. 

 In the story “The Ghost Soldiers”, O’Brien writes: “I’d come to this war a quiet, thoughtful sort of person, a college grad, Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude, all the credentials, but after seven months in the bush I realized that those high civilized trappings had somehow been crushed under the weight of the simple daily realities. I’d turned mean inside” (The Things They Carried). This quote reveals how much O’Brien has changed because of the war and how his whole demeanor has changed when he says, “I’d turned mean inside.” The way O’Brien thought of himself has changed because of the trauma of war, which is a symptom of PTSD. By analyzing this quote, it is apparent that war can change people into the exact opposite of what they were when entering the war. The stark contrast between complex academic terms such as “Phi Betta Kappa” or “summa cum laude” and the simple description of the “bush” represent O’Brien’s transition from the person he used to be and the person the war has made him into. O’Brien acknowledges the fact that this war has changed him into a completely different person, but these changes come from the traumatic experiences he has endured in the Vietnam War. 

When the American soldiers returned home from World War II in 1945, they were greeted as heroes. There were parades held to honor the returning vets and to recognize the sacrifices that they had made during the war. This is the complete opposite of what returning was like for Vietnam soldiers. When the Vietnam veterans returned home from war, they returned home to a country torn about the United States’ involvement in the war and whether or not it had been a wise decision to partake in this war. Many of the young men that returned home from fighting in Vietnam had a terrible time readjusting to life in the United States due to physical injuries, emotional problems, or drug addiction. In addition, some had trouble feeling accepted by their friends and families. The returning Vietnam veterans were distanced and shunned from the rest of American society because of the lack of support for the war and the disdain felt for the men who fought in it. 

The poor reception of the Vietnam War veterans’ return home would have made existing PTSD symptoms more severe or brought on new symptoms all together. The attitudes from United States citizens may have triggered negative changes in beliefs or feelings. These attitudes may have also changed the way Vietnam veterans viewed themselves and others around them, leading to cynical attitudes and further development of PTSD symptoms. Furthermore, the US government at first denied that some of the Vietnam War veterans’ health problems were in any way related to their service in Vietnam. Man Vietnam veterans also could not support themselves or earn money once they returned to the United States. The government had spent so much money on the war itself that the most they could offer the veterans was $200 per month. This barely enabled the veterans to cover their living expenses. Many of the soldiers who returned from Vietnam were young men without college educations. The $200 a month they received was not enough to be able to continue an education. Within 10 years of returning home from the war, 25% of the American soldiers who saw combat in Vietnam were arrested on criminal charges, mostly for drug-related offenses. 

Even after the war, drugs haunted the Vietnam veterans because many of them lacked a college education and could not obtain a well-paying job. Since many of the soldiers were familiar with drugs and the distribution of them thanks to their time in Vietnam, so many of them turned to drugs in order to make a living. The stress of not being able to find a job and trying to recover from war took a huge toll on Vietnam veterans. Friends and families of returning veterans were unsupportive of the war and therefore, unsupportive of the returning veterans. With the horrors of combat clouding their minds, Vietnam veterans had no one to turn to in order to receive help. Studies estimate that as many as 800,000 out of approximately 2.7 million Vietnam war veterans suffered from PTSD. These numbers mean that approximately 30% of the soldiers that served in Vietnam were suffering from PTSD. 

While most of the soldiers returning were greeted with indifference and disdain, the Vietnam veterans that had been held captive as prisoners of war received a warm greeting from their fellow Americans. Despite the divide and lack of support in regards to the war, everyone was concerned for the Prisoners of War. While these men suffered a great deal, they were given the warm welcome that all of the Vietnam veterans deserved upon their return home. The bravery and endurance of the POWs were celebrated, while the men who fought day after day and watched their friends die for their country were cast aside. This unfair treatment of Vietnam war veterans contributed greatly to the PTSD epidemic. The negative feelings these soldiers were feeling about themselves coupled with the memories of the horrors of war was a dangerous combination that often lead to serious posttraumatic stress disorder. 
