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Alice Li
August 5, 2015
V. Miles
PTSD Development in A Long Way Gone

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Solider is a memoir written by Ishmael Beah, an
author from Sierra Leone. The book reveals the horrifying time Ishmael spent as a child solider
during the civil war in Sierra Leone. Ishmael ran away from his village at age 12 and became
forever separated from his immediate family after attacks by rebels. He was forced to join an
army unit who brainwashed him into gun usage and drugs. By thirteen, he had perpetuated and
witnessed a great deal of heinous violence. Due to the monstrous violence, Ishmael developed
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), a psychiatric disorder following experiences of
witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist
incidents, or physical or sexual assault in adult or childhood. Symptoms of PTSD include
recurrent and intrusive memories of the traumatic event and angry outbursts or aggressive
behaviour. Additionally, one will have negative changes in thinking and mood, loosing lack of
interest in activities and life.

The persistent mental and emotional stress causes Ishmael to re-experience the traumatic
warfare. Ishmael has obstructive and upsetting nightmares of the abhorrent violence. I would
dream that a faceless gunman had tied me up and begun to slit my throat with the zigzag edge of
his bayonet. I would feel the pain that the knife inflicted as the man sawed my neck. Id wake up
sweating and throwing punches in the air (Beah 179). Emotional support from Esther, Ishmaels

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nurse, helped his rehabilitation. Additionally, Ishmaels admiration for rap/hip-hop music aided
his recovery as it provided him comfort and the little happiness he has left in his life. I began to
look forward to Esthers arrival in the afternoons. I sang for her the parts of songs I had
memorized that day. Memorizing lyrics left me little time to think about what had
happened in the war. As I grew comfortable with Esther, I talked to her mainly about Bob
Marleys lyrics and Run-D.M.C.s (Beah 197). PTSD has also caused Ishmael to lose interest in
daily activities and life in general. He becomes hopeless about the future and suicidal. I feel as if
there is nothing left for me to be alive for, I said slowly. I have no family, it is just me. No one
will be able to tell stories about my childhood (Beah 201). Emotional support and guidance help
one overcome the symptoms of PTSD. Ishmael is treated with support from Esther, reassuring
and providing encouragement. Esther put her arms around me and pulled me closer to her. She
shook me to get my full attention before she started. Think of me as your family, your sister []
You see, this is the beauty of starting a new family. You can have different kinds of family
members (Beah 201). Another symptom includes increased anxiety and emotional arousal
which causes outbursts of anger. The nurse was wiping my forehead with a soaked cloth. I
caught her hand, pushed her away, and walked out again [] took the water from her and drank
it, then threw the glass against the wall (Beah 170). Treatments for PTSD can vary from support
to medicine and pills, which the nurse constantly provided to Ishmael throughout his
rehabilitation. She smiled and walked over to my bed and injected me [] I was getting weaker
and my eyelids grew heavier (Beah 172).

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PTSD impacts ones life tremendously, especially so for someone who is in his
adolescence. In the novel, Ishmael experienced a confusion of his identity. Having his family and
peers killed, he finds himself lost and struggling to find a role in shaping his sense of personal
identify. To those dealing with PTSD, its important to have emotional and even physical support
every step of the way to recovery. It is very unfortunate what people have to deal with after
experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event and it is important for them to know that they are
strong enough to overcome it and that life has better things to offer ahead.