Vietnam Veterans Themes

There are four major themes which emerge in early encounters with Vietnam veterans: control, integrity, ambiguity, and personal accountability. Theses themes indicate the presence of the disorder. Control is often the most significant issue in the initial session. “The depth of the therapy possible is largely determined by the extent to which the veteran believes he or she has self-control or the ability to predict emerging symptoms, outburst, or intrusive episodes.” (Dean 133) Integrity will always arise in the initial discussion with a veteran. It will usually arise in the form of blame or criticism of an institution or individual for a lack of integrity.