Editor’s Note: Chloe Melas is a reporter for CNN, covering all things entertainment for the network across platforms.
CNN —
For decades after returning home from World War II, my grandfather did not talk about his wartime experiences.
Frank Murphy flew 21 perilous missions as a navigator of a B-17 for the Eighth Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group, nicknamed “the Bloody Hundredth.” The day his plane was shot down in 1943, two of the men in his crew died, and my grandfather considered himself lucky to have parachuted out of his burning aircraft and be captured by the Nazis.
Frank Murphy, the grandfather of CNN's Chloe Melas, after he was captured and taken a prisoner of war by the Nazis in 1943.
For the next 18 months, he would endure deplorable conditions as a German prisoner of war, take part in a harrowing death march in subzero temperatures and by the time US Gen. George S. Patton’s troops liberated him, he had lost over 50 pounds and was riddled with dysentery, pneumonia and lice.
Everyone could see the physical toll of war on his body, but we didn’t know about his invisible wounds.
That is until 2001, more than 50 years after returning home, when my grandfather wrote a memoir, “Luck of the Draw: My Story of the Air War in Europe,” for our family. He originally self-published the book that year. St. Martin’s Press released it this year, and the book has since become a New York Times bestseller.
In his book, he wrote, “I often wonder why Providence allowed me to survive when so many others did not.”
My mother and his other three children said that their dad never spoke about the war during their childhood. It wasn’t until my mom read his book that she truly knew what he had gone through.
Even my grandmother Ann, his wife of 50 years, told me that she did not even know that her soon-to-be-husband had been a prisoner of war until right before they were married.
What is PTSD?
Researching my grandfather’s time during the war, I’ve often wondered if he had post-traumatic stress disorder. I may never know whether he had PTSD or not — but in the 78 years since World War II ended, it’s so vital that the national conversation around this important topic is moving forward.
Frank Murphy was shot down on his 21st mission while flying over Munster, Germany. Two of the men on his crew died that day.
It’s had different names throughout history. After World War I, it was “shell shock”; post-World War II it was known as “combat fatigue,” and after Vietnam it was called “post-Vietnam syndrome.” In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association officially recognized it as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
Post-traumatic stress disorder “is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events or set of circumstances. An individual may experience this as emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening and may affect mental, physical, social, and/or spiritual well-being,” according to the American Psychiatric Association’s website. “Examples include natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, war/combat, rape/sexual assault, historical trauma, intimate partner violence and bullying.”
Do veterans have a brain injury?
Now professionals such as psychologist Shauna Springer and psychiatrist Frank Ochberg are advocating calling it post-traumatic brain injury.
“I refer to it as an injury because I’ve seen that there’s a biological component to being exposed to trauma as well as a psychological component that has always been with us,” Springer, chief psychologist at the Stella Center, told me. “And now I think we’re on the cusp of evolving the term further.”
Post-traumatic brain injury has always existed, Springer said, and people are finally talking about it.
“It’s kind of like saying that because the divorce rate was so much lower in previous generations that everybody had these great marriages,” she said, “but actually that was a factor of how much stigma there was about divorce and how dependent women were financially at that time without their own career options.”
Forty percent of medical discharges during WWII were for psychiatric conditions, most for combat stress, according to the National World War II Museum In New Orleans.
Veterans keep quiet about trauma
But veterans didn’t always mention their trauma when they came home from the war.
“When your grandfather and my grandfather served in World War II, they didn’t talk about it,” Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told me.
“They came home and too often, you know, their therapy was drinking,” he said. “There was a generation of folks who had tremendous trauma and pain, and that overflowed into their families in ways that we still can’t even quantify.”
My grandfather was in the infamous Stalag Luft III prison camp, where “The Great Escape” took place. In his memoir, he writes about going to bed hungry, freezing and terrified of never knowing when the war would end.
“A prisoner of war experiences real-time feelings of helplessness and you’re on-your-own that cannot be imagined unless you have been there,” my grandpa relates in “Luck of the Draw.”
Inside Stalag 7A where Frank Murphy was a prisoner of war during WWII.
“It is difficult to put into words the sense of powerlessness and vulnerability one experiences when standing completely defenseless before a formidable armed wartime enemy of your country, knowing that the entire might of the United States is of no benefit to you.”
I have his book to remind me, but it’s hard to imagine what else he must have gone through, and the struggles he went through alone, once he was back home.
How are veterans today?
With so many US troops fighting abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past 20 years, the problems my grandpa faced haven’t gone away.
About 16 veterans commit suicide each day in the United States, according to a report by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Asked for comment by CNN, the VA did not specify how many of those suicides were related to post-traumatic stress.
I became active in the fight for our veterans when I joined the board of directors for the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force near Savannah, Georgia, in 2015 in honor of my grandfather’s service.
I found allies in the cause when I joined the board, including former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Perry, who has been a vocal supporter of our nation’s veterans, was a pilot in the Air Force before entering politics and eventually becoming the US secretary of energy. His father, like my grandfather, served in the Eighth Air during WWII.
“My instinct here is warriors are very proud, and showing weakness in any form has historically been frowned upon,” he told me.
Perry’s attention to the emotional toll of war became heightened when he met Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell. Luttrell had just returned home from a harrowing experience participating in Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in 2005. (It went on to become a best-selling book and a 2013 film starring Mark Wahlberg called “Lone Survivor.”) Perry and his wife took Luttrell into their home and got him the psychological support he needed.
Chloe Melas is shown with her grandparents, Ann and Frank Murphy, in Atlanta in1989. (Courtesy Melas Family Collection)
Do psychedelic-assisted therapies help?
At same time, Perry was introduced to Amber and Marcus Capone, a couple who had started an organization called Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, or VETS, which provides resources, research and advocacy for US military veterans seeking treatment with psychedelic-assisted therapies.
They started the group after Marcus Capone returned home from multiple combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and was having suicidal thoughts.
“He didn’t understand why he couldn’t get better,” Amber Capone said. “He was trying so hard. I just thought of our kids and them living the rest of their lives without a father and how this would impact generations to come, and I just thought, I can’t stop fighting for him.”
Six years later, VETS says it has provided funding for more than 700 veterans to get access to psychedelic treatments at centers outside the country due to issues with legalization.
This is one of the reasons Perry has devoted years to supporting veterans and bipartisan legislation for psychedelic therapy for veterans.
“I know this whole concept, Rick Perry’s name and psychedelics in the same sentence, five years ago I would’ve kind of looked at you and said, ‘What are you talking about?’ ” Perry told me. “But I know kids that were really sick that are now about as close to normal as you can get.”
The legalization of psychedelic treatments varies in the United States. Only a handful of states such as New York, California and Arizona have active legislation proposed to decriminalize plant-based hallucinogens, such as psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” and dimethyltryptamine, which is found in some plants used to brew ayahuasca.
While Oregon and Colorado are the only two US states to have decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms for those over 21, other states such as Texas and Maryland are conducting clinical trials with MDMA and ibogaine for those suffering from issues such as PTSD and depression.
Dr. David Rabin, a neuroscientist and board-certified psychiatrist, has been studying the effects of chronic stress on mental and physical health for nearly 20 years.
“We know that hugs feel good. We know that music makes us feel good if we like listening to our favorite songs, right? That is intuitive, but we don’t necessarily remember to breathe when we’re stressed out,” Rabin said.
“Psychedelic medicine is interesting because it works when it’s used properly,” he said. “It works as a therapy amplifier because it molecularly seems to do something in the brain that amplifies the neural pathways of safety that are set up by the therapeutic environment.”
Springer cofounded the Stella Center, a network of clinics that offer ketamine infusion therapy and dual sympathetic research for those suffering from post-traumatic stress.
“For some, it’s medication; for some, it’s a service dog,” said Rieckhoff of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “And I think everybody’s got to figure out what their right prescription is to meet their unique situation.”
Another individual bringing resources to veterans and their families is ABC News journalist Bob Woodruff.
While reporting in the field in Iraq in 2006, Woodruff had a near-death experience that changed the course of his life. An improvised explosive device struck him and his cameraman, and Woodruff was subsequently kept in a medically induced coma for 36 months.
During his recovery, he and his wife, Lee Woodruff, were inspired to launch their nonprofit, the Bob Woodruff Foundation, after getting to know veterans who were dealing with the impact of hidden injuries such as traumatic brain injuries.
“I would say almost every American wants to do something for veterans who served, but many don’t really know exactly where that support should go because it’s very complicated,” Bob Woodruff said. “We just kind of help people who want to do something, find the right direction to help people.”
To date, the foundation says it’s invested over $124 million in these programs and has given over 585 grants to veterans and their families
As for the future, Perry said it’s about continuing the conversation.
“I think mental health is the most undiagnosed and unknown malady that we have in modern society, potentially,” he said. “It was there all along.”
FAQs
How did ww2 affect people mentally? ›
More than half a million service members suffered some sort of psychiatric collapse due to combat. Alarmingly, 40 percent of medical discharges during the war were for psychiatric conditions. The vast majority of those can be attributed to combat stress.
Were people depressed after ww2? ›In a study of people receiving war pensions for psychiatric illness between 1940 and 1980, a team of researchers found that the 10 most common symptoms were anxiety, depression, sleep problems, headache, irritability/anger, tremor/shaking, difficulty completing tasks, poor concentration, repeated fears and avoidance of ...
What was PTSD called in ww2? ›In World War II, the shell shock diagnosis was replaced by Combat Stress Reaction (CSR), also known as "battle fatigue." With long surges common in World War II, soldiers became battle weary and exhausted.
How did PTSD affect soldiers after ww2? ›PTSD in the WWII combat veteran presents with physical, psychologic, and social manifestations. Specific physical problems, such as traumatic arthritis and digestive disorders, may be linked to POW experiences. Psychologic symptoms include denial, numbing, intrusive images and thoughts, and nightmares.
What mental disorders did ww2 have? ›| Prevalence - total sample | Prevalence - civilians in war zone | |
|---|---|---|
| PTSDb | 2.8 (.2) | 4.5 (.2) |
| Generalized Anxiety Disorderc | 2.7 (.2) | 4.0 (.2) |
| Specific Phobiad | 3.2 (.2) | 3.2 (.2) |
| Social Phobiae | 1.1 (.1) | 1.0 (.1) |
Psychological Effects of War on Families and Civilians
During the war, people can be exposed to many different traumatic events. That raises the chances of developing mental health problems—like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression—and poorer adult life outcomes.
Symptoms included anxiety, cognitive and somatic complaints, depression, alcohol dependence, and amnestic periods. Despite the varied presentations, a fairly consistent patient profile emerged. Patients avoided reminders of war, showed an exaggerated startle response, and experienced restless sleep and chronic anxiety.
Do I have generational trauma? ›Signs & Symptoms of Generational Trauma
“The symptoms of generational trauma include hypervigilance, fears of death or no hope for the future, mistrust of outsiders, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), low self-esteem, issues of addiction, domestic violence, and sexual abuse.”
| Service Era | PTSD in the Past Year | PTSD at Some Point in Life |
|---|---|---|
| Persian Gulf War (Desert Storm) | 14 out of 100 (14%) | 21 out of 100 (21%) |
| Vietnam War | 5 out of 100 (5%) | 10 out of 100 (10%) |
| World War II (WWII) and Korean War | 2 out of 100 (2%) | 3 out of 100 (3%) |
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sometimes known as shell shock or combat stress, occurs after you experience severe trauma or a life-threatening event. It's normal for your mind and body to be in shock after such an event, but this normal response becomes PTSD when your nervous system gets “stuck.”
What are the symptoms of battle fatigue? ›
Combat Stress Reaction (CSR) is most frequently known as shell shock or battle fatigue. It results in a range of adverse behaviors as a result of stress from battle. Some universal symptoms are exhaustion, decrease in responsiveness, hesitancy and uncertainty, feeling like you are disconnected and inability to focus.
How do you recover from war PTSD? ›Some of those coping mechanisms are outlined below: Lifestyle changes – Interacting with other trauma survivors and other veterans who have experience with PTSD, exercising, eating healthy, volunteering, avoiding drugs and alcohol, spending more time with loved ones and practicing optimism are all helpful.
How many people got PTSD from World War 2? ›Another prevalence rate, found in the 1950s, suggests that about 10% of WWII soldiers had PTSD at some point.
How bad was ww2 PTSD? ›Among those who had previously sought psychiatric treatment, 37% of the World War II veterans and 80% of the Korean War veterans had current PTSD. Rosen et al [32] found that 54% of a group of psychiatric patients who had been in combat during World War II met criteria for PTSD. The prevalence of current PTSD was 27%.
Who suffer the most in ww2? ›The Soviet Union is estimated to have suffered the highest number of WWII casualties.
What was the worst mental disorder? ›The HRQoL 15D was again used to evaluate the quality of life in those found to have one of these disorders. Among those with one of these three disorders, those with schizoaffective disorder were found to have the worst quality of life, followed by those with schizophrenia, and then by those with bipolar disorder.
Which was the most frequently diagnosed psychiatric syndrome among soldiers in World War 1? ›By the winter of 1914–15, "shell shock" had become a pressing medical and military problem. Not only did it affect increasing numbers of frontline troops serving in World War I, British Army doctors were struggling to understand and treat the disorder. The term "shell shock" was coined by the soldiers themselves.
What does war do to a person mentally? ›During war, people can be exposed to many different traumatic events. That raises the chances of developing mental health problems—like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression—and poorer life outcomes as adults.
What psychological trauma is associated with war? ›Some features of severe incapacitating war-zone stress reactions may include severe restlessness, agitation, withdrawal from others, stuttering, confusion, nausea, vomiting, and suspiciousness. In general, symptoms are considered “severe” if they persistently interfere with adequate performance in combat.
How does war lead to family dynamics? ›The individual's emotions alternate between anxiety and aggression, excitement and boredom, and patriotism and fear for personal safety. Such changes at the national, community and individual levels affect family members, who may become overwhelmed by a mixture of concern, grief, hys- teria and gaiety.
What are 2 signs of PTSD? ›
- vivid flashbacks (feeling like the trauma is happening right now)
- intrusive thoughts or images.
- nightmares.
- intense distress at real or symbolic reminders of the trauma.
- physical sensations such as pain, sweating, nausea or trembling.
Shell shock was a term coined during the First World War that is now called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is a psychological condition resulting from the stress a soldier experiences during battle. Symptoms include (but are not limited to) tremors, loss of sight or hearing and extreme fatigue.
What is war neurosis? ›War neuroses is a collective term used to denote the complex of nervous and mental disorders of soldiers in modern wartime societies.
What are the signs of breaking generational trauma? ›- Emotional numbing and depersonalization.
- Unresolved and complicated grief.
- Isolation and withdrawal.
- Hyper-vigilance.
- Fearfulness.
- Memory loss.
- Anger and irritability.
- Nightmares.
What about “generational curse?” Inter-generational trauma is a concept developed to help explain years of generational challenges within families. It is the transmission (or sending down to younger generations) of the oppressive or traumatic effects of a historical event.
How do you identify ancestral trauma? ›- Feeling emotions like anger, guilt, sadness, or shame.
- Feeling hopeless or numb.
- Experiencing feelings of anxiety or depression.
- Having otherwise unexplained physical symptoms like headaches, fatigue, or nausea.
- Hyperarousal or being easily startled.
Da Costa's syndrome involves a set of symptoms which include left-sided chest pains, palpitations, breathlessness, and fatigue in response to exertion.
Why are Veterans so grumpy? ›People may become angry when they feel threatened, harmed, or powerless. Some Veterans may be more likely to feel anger in everyday situations because of a traumatic event from past military experience, such as combat, physical or sexual abuse, injury, or the loss of a buddy from their unit.
Who suffers from PTSD the most? ›Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men. About 8 of every 100 women (or 8%) and 4 of every 100 men (or 4%) will have PTSD at some point in their life. This is in part due to the types of traumatic events that women are more likely to experience—such as sexual assault—compared to men.
What not to say to someone with PTSD? ›- Give easy answers or blithely tell your loved one everything is going to be okay.
- Stop your loved one from talking about their feelings or fears.
- Offer unsolicited advice or tell your loved one what they “should” do.
- Blame all of your relationship or family problems on your loved one's PTSD.
What are the 5 signs of PTSD? ›
- A life threatening event. This includes a perceived-to-be life threatening event. ...
- Internal reminders of a traumatic event. These signs of trauma typically present as nightmares or flashbacks. ...
- Avoidance of external reminders. ...
- Altered anxiety state. ...
- Changes in mood or thinking.
- Re-experiencing the event. Memories of the traumatic event can come back in an intense way at any time, bringing back the same feelings of fear. ...
- Avoiding things that remind you of the event. ...
- Negative changes in thinking and mood. ...
- Hyperarousal.
Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (aka PTSD, an anxiety disorder that follows experiencing a traumatic event) are the most common mental health problems faced by returning troops.
What is the military syndrome? ›PTSD is a very common condition for many veterans after military service. Symptoms can include disturbing thoughts, feelings, or dreams related to the events, mental or physical distress, difficulty sleeping, and changes in how a person thinks and feels.
What is post war syndrome called? ›Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Someone with PTSD often relives the traumatic event through nightmares and flashbacks, and may experience feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt. They may also have problems sleeping, such as insomnia, and find concentrating difficult.
Battle sign is bruising over the mastoid process that is typically the result of head trauma. Battle sign typically requires significant head trauma and may indicate significant internal injury to the brain and not just the posterior cranial vault or mastoid.
What is battle shock? ›psychological impairment resulting from combat stress reactions. The expression was used in the Israeli Yom Kippur war to describe the condition of a combat stress casualty who was unable to tolerate further military combat.
What are the symptoms of operator syndrome? ›Nearly all operators experience shared symptoms including but not limited to: sleep disturbance, low testosterone levels, decreased sense of worth, decreased motivation, emotional numbing, feeling detached from the self and more.
What not to say to a veteran with PTSD? ›- Don't ask if they've killed anyone. ...
- Don't tread too gently around vets because you assume everyone has experienced trauma. ...
- Don't ask them to put difficult experiences behind them. ...
- Don't snap — even if they snap. ...
- Don't describe their experience for them.
How long does PTSD last? The course of the illness will vary from person to person and event to event. Some people may experience PTSD recovery within six months, while others have PTSD symptoms that last much longer. PTSD can also become chronic.
What does PTSD look like in veterans? ›
Many older Veterans find they have PTSD symptoms even 50 or more years after their wartime experience. Some symptoms of PTSD include having nightmares or feeling like you are reliving the event, avoiding situations that remind you of the event, being easily startled, and loss of interest in activities.
How did World War 2 affect people mentally? ›More than half a million service members suffered some sort of psychiatric collapse due to combat. Alarmingly, 40 percent of medical discharges during the war were for psychiatric conditions. The vast majority of those can be attributed to combat stress.
What is post-traumatic stress disorder after ww2? ›PTSD in the WWII combat veteran presents with physical, psychologic, and social manifestations. Specific physical problems, such as traumatic arthritis and digestive disorders, may be linked to POW experiences. Psychologic symptoms include denial, numbing, intrusive images and thoughts, and nightmares.
Do veterans at war with PTSD fight or flight? ›The researchers found that post-9/11 veterans with combat-related PTSD had an increased fight or flight response during mental stress, higher adrenaline levels, and less control of their heart rate in response to blood pressure changes.
How was PTSD treated during WWII? ›Instead, soldiers suffered from combat or battle exhaustion. The simplest therapy was rest, sometimes combined with tranquillizers. Other treatments included the use of electroshock therapy, hypnosis, and narcotherapy. This last treatment option involved the use of Pentothal, a 'truth serum.
What is battle fatigue? ›noun. Britannica Dictionary definition of BATTLE FATIGUE. [noncount] : a mental illness that is caused by the experiences of fighting in a war and that causes extreme feelings of nervousness, depression, etc. — called also combat fatigue, shell shock.
How did war affect mental health? ›One in five (22%) people who have experienced war or other conflict in the previous 10 years, will have depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
What are the effects of war mentally? ›The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that in situations of armed conflict, "Around 10 percent of the people who experience traumatic events will have serious mental health problems, and another 10 percent will develop behavior that will hinder their ability to function effectively." Depression, anxiety, and ...
What was the psychological impact of World War? ›Psychological trauma experienced during the war had an unprecedented toll on veterans, many of whom suffered symptoms for the rest of their lives. These ranged from distressing memories that veterans found difficult to forget, to extreme episodes of catatonia and terror when reminded of their trauma.
How did WWI affect soldiers physically and mentally? ›In the wake of World War I, some veterans returned wounded, but not with obvious physical injuries. Instead, their symptoms were similar to those that had previously been associated with hysterical women – most commonly amnesia, or some kind of paralysis or inability to communicate with no clear physical cause.
What childhood trauma is caused by war? ›
Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are the most common mental disorders in the aftermath of war for both adults and children, occurring in up to one third of the people directly exposed to traumatic war experiences1.
What is war related trauma? ›Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sometimes known as shell shock or combat stress, occurs after you experience severe trauma or a life-threatening event. It's normal for your mind and body to be in shock after such an event, but this normal response becomes PTSD when your nervous system gets “stuck.”
How does war change personality? ›In 'World report on violence and health' WHO recognises that the violence and cruelty through conflicts are associated with a range of psychological and behavioural problems, including depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviour and PTSD [19].
How does war affect your personality? ›Death, injury, sexual violence, malnutrition, illness, and disability are some of the most threatening physical consequences of war, while post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety are some of the emotional effects.
What is the psychological response to war? ›PTSD is a psychological response to the experience of intense traumatic events, particularly those that threaten life. It can affect people of any age, culture or gender.
What field of psychology developed from ww2? ›The Emergence of Social Psychology
The importance of environmental factors was brought to the forefront during WWII. Not only did the effects of trauma point toward the essential role of a person's surroundings, but social scientists began to recognize the protective function of social interaction.
War disrupts the supply of necessities to children and their families like food, water, shelter, health services, and education. Lack of access to these basic needs may deprive children of their physical, social-emotional, and psychological development.
What is war PTSD like? ›PTSD is a very common condition for many veterans after military service. Symptoms can include disturbing thoughts, feelings, or dreams related to the events, mental or physical distress, difficulty sleeping, and changes in how a person thinks and feels.
How mentally tough are soldiers? ›Being mentally tough is one of the most important characteristics of a soldier. The men in uniforms have to face such adverse conditions and unpredictable situations that being mentally tough is a must for them. Mental toughness or Resilience, as psychologists call it, is the strength to endure hardships.