Ingabire Background/Introduction

I once watched a movie called Beasts of the Southern Wild. It is about how the levees broke during Hurricane Katrina. Throughout the film, you see how the victims are in horror as the waves of water rush through and destroy their homes. This was what sparked my interest in this project. I think so many people witness these tragic events on their TVs and are stricken with sadness and sympathy, but can never really understand what the victims go through during and after going through these events. Many people go through what is called post-traumatic stress disorder after living through these events, and I think it is important to be aware of it. Essentially, I am observing and evaluating the direct and indirect result of post-traumatic stress disorder after a traumatic event. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm of the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers. PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes. Post-traumatic stress disorder is classified as an anxiety disorder; the characteristic symptoms are not present before exposure to the violently traumatic event. In the typical case, the individual with PTSD persistently avoids all thoughts and emotions, and discussion of the stressor event and may experience amnesia for it. However, the individual through intrusive, recurrent recollections, flashbacks, and nightmares commonly relives the event.

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Literacy Review Key Terms: Anxiety disorder: a type of mood disorder PTSD: post-traumatic stress disorder develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm of the threat of physical harm.

September 11, 2001

The events on September 11th impacted not only New York, but it affected all civilians globally. The terrorist attacks brought on a wave of fear throughout the world; the events of 9/11 still hold significance in our hearts and minds. I can still remember that day. I was in 1st grade at the time, and my school let out early. When I got home, my mom had the television on and every single channel was broadcasting the traumatic event in New York. On every news station, one could see images of horror and fear among those directly affected at the site. There was debris on every inch of the city- fallen buildings, damaged cars, broken glass. That tragic day effected people on a global scale- it changed our economy, national security, and overall morale. By broadcasting the events on social media, allowing people to stay tuned on what was happening, it kept the memory fresh in everyones mind. Many people suffered through PTSD after the tragic events that day. In a CNN news article, reporter Anemona Hartocollis interviews a woman by the name of Margaret Dessau about the traumatic effects of 9/11. She tries to keep a level head about it, when describing the day, but ends up breaking down in tears. After that treacherous day, Dessau had to cope with what she saw through intensive counseling. Her therapist suggests that

Ingabire she listens to video recordings of her explaining in detail the events that occurred that day- the people she saw, the building debris, the crying children. The purpose of this was that she could finally come to terms with what happened in New York, and finally be able to truly deal with it as opposed to suppressing the feelings she had for it. She told the reporter that she had frequent

nightmares, trouble concentrating, and feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and guiltiness over the events that day. She felt as though she could have done more to help1.

Shootings

On September 16th last year, a man named Aaron Alexis fatally shot twelve people and injured three others in a mass shooting at the head quarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command inside the Washington Navy Yard in Southeast Washington DC3. The attack began around 8:20am and ended when Alexis was killed by police around 9:20am. It was the second deadliest mass murder on a us military base, behind only the Fort Hood shooting in November 2009. Aaron Alexis has served in the Navy for several years until very recently4. Many psychoanalysis and medical professions take his case as a perfect example of how PTSD can affect someone. After his years in the military, the things he had seen must have triggered something in him to alter his way of thinking, so much so that it would bring him to kill all those innocent people. The shooting obviously directly effected many people of the town in Washington DC, but this tragedy also indirectly effected millions by multimedia sources. Power of technology allowed for this story to cross the globe and inform the nation on this terrible event. A similar event happened during the Newtown Massacre5, also referred to as the Sandy Hook shootings. A man named Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children and six school faculty6. This

Ingabire terrible day truly was something to affect everyone. To have to witness people die, let alone 20 children, is a difficult thing to do. The police force that was on site, and the first responders on the scene must have undergone a very emotional experience. The parents of the 20 children will never be able to see their children grow up, and that is its own tragic event in itself. Through the media, we are able to stay tuned to what is happening, but even still, we may never truly understand the pain they went through. There were many documented cases of PTSD after this event. There is one documented case specifically for a man named Thomas Bean; Thomas Bean

was one of the first officers to respond to the Sandy Hook shootings. He told interviewers that he has contemplated cutting himself with a razor, that he continues to have flashbacks of that day, and is often left crying some nights by the memories of the bloodshed. Officer Bean described the event as something that you had to see to be able to understand, though he hoped no one ever had the chance to do. He repeated to the interviewer that the dreadful day killed him inside and there would be no full recovery after the things he saw that day.

Natural Disasters

In 2005, a disastrous hurricane tore up most of the East Coast. Louisiana was hit the hardest. Hurricane Katrina is still considered the deadliest and most destructive Atlantic tropical cyclone of the 2005 Hurricane season. It was the costliest storm that hit the US; we are still paying for the damages for the states affected. A documentary that thoroughly depicts the damages of the storm is called When the Levees Broke, this documentary was focused on Louisiana- the people and the cities within it- that were hit the hardest. Within this documentary, there are several places being observed to exemplify the damage that was caused- there was

Ingabire several shots of damaged homes, schools and facilities. Due to the fact that so many victims of

Hurricane Katrina were left homeless after the storm, there are several shots of where the victims were shipped out of Louisiana to live after the storm hit. The documentary itself focuses on the people of New Orleans, but the documentary also makes a point to showcase the places that were also hit but the awful storm along the East Coast. In many of the shots, the cameramen focus on the disastrous damage and chaos that affected the people of Louisiana8. There are many shots of the levees that are used to regulate water levels that were destroyed with the storm. Over 300,500 homes were destroyed by the hurricane. There were plenty of shots of how Louisiana was before the hurricane hit- it was beautiful and lively, with people happy to be there. After the storm hit, the documenters made sure to show the people in distress and sadness. There were torn down electrical cables, trees, and almost all buildings were damaged. There are shots were the former President of the United States, George W. Bush, comes to witness the damage first hand. Essentially, the main focus is the destruction that the storm caused. Many of the people living in Louisiana at the time of the storm were forced to evacuate to a new city. The displaced citizens of Louisiana were upset at the way the government treated them during the storm. Many of them were left with nothing- no money or possessions to their name. Many families were split up and not joined together for months. The feelings that the victims of this awful storm felt are pretty much unimaginable for those who did not experience it. However, all of American sympathized with them, and hoped for their lives to improve9. A similar occurrence happened in Haiti in 2010 where a earthquake produced a deadly tsunami. Throughout the world, people watched as overwhelming waves swallowed the tiny islands and the innocent people within them. The media made a point to keep us all aware of what was happening the entire time2.

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Enter the Conversation

After researching for this project, I found that many people are affected by post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD was not even observed as being a real problem until after World War II. A theory that I have come up with as to why this is, is because before World War II, if a soldier was injured, for example a leg needing to be amputated, the soldier would take a swig for whiskey and be shot and killed. This is mainly because a hurt soldier was usually a liability and they would slow down the group. With advancements in first aid assistance, medics were able to get the soldier in shape enough to get back on the field, or at least make it home to recover there. Once the soldier got home, he then was able to think about the experiences he had at battle, allowing for post-traumatic stress disorder to arise. PTSD is a serious condition that I believe should be treated more seriously within the psychological and medical fields.

So What?/ Conclusion

Essentially, a single independent film called Beasts of the Southern Wild brought on this topic. For assignment one, this film gave me my interest in researching about Hurricane Katrina in 2005. For assignment two, I used my knowledge from my first project to add another element for research, and that was to find other traumatic events and how they effect its victims. PTSD is a serious disorder that affects so many people. Anxiety disorders can range from mild to severe, and it is often difficult to determine the severity. It is also difficult to tell if someone is dealing with PTSD just by looking at them. I found it so fascinating to look at the psychology of

Ingabire it all, how the mind completely alters after the PTSD has risen. I hope that post-traumatic stress disorder begins to be treated more important, and psychologist find more ways to treat it.

References 1. Hartocollis, Anemona. "10 Years and a Diagnosis Later, 9/11 Demons Haunt Thousands." The New York Times. The New York Times, 09 Aug. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. 2. Marcus, Erin. "PTSD Manifests Differently in Haitian Paitients, Says Researcher." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 May 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. 3. "The Navy Yard Shooting and Mental Health." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. 4. "The Navy Yard Shootings and PTSD." Anderson Cooper 360 RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. 5. Sanche, Ray. "Haunted by the Newtown Massacre, Police Officer Faces Firing over PTSD." CNN. Cable News Network, 12 Nov. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. 6. Winsor, Morgan. "Newtown Police Chief Withdraws Request to Fire Officer with PTSD." CNN. Cable News Network, 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. 7. Melissa Healy December 9. "Can You Get PTSD from Watching Media Coverage of an Event? Maybe." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 09 Dec. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. 8. Flows, Capital. "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Media Hype V. Truth Archetype On Veteran's Day." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 10 Nov. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. 9. "Former 9/11 Airline Dispatcher Now Stricken with PTSD Fights for Health Benefits from 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund." PRWeb. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. 10. "911 Dispatchers Suffer PTSD Symptoms From Indirect Exposure to Traumatic Events." EHS Today Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.