Review of “At War With PTSD: Battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with Virtual Reality"

Robert N. Mclay acknowledges that PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is one of the most difficult disorders to treat because it doesn’t show up on our most advanced medical tests, there’s no one treatment that works for everyone, and it’s often hard to convince people that PTSD exists.

 In “At War With PTSD: Battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with Virtual Reality, Mclay takes us through the emotionally raw journey of using virtual reality to treat soldiers with PTSD.

 Several of the early chapters are devoted to explaining PTSD through both psychological definitions, and personal stories that help illustrate the effects PTSD can have. 

There’s nothing terribly overpowering about the psychological lingo as Mclay writes in an easy to understand conversational manner.

Then he discusses the doubters of PTSD and the pitfalls of wanting to study virtual reality as a form of treatment for PTSD.

Perhaps most interesting was the sections where he discusses the competing companies who manufacture the virtual reality gear because I already figured that it might be difficult to get soldiers to accept the reality of PTSD.

The premise behind virtual reality for PTSD is that soldiers have suffered some trauma. Using virtual reality, we can create something that closely resembles this traumatic event and give the soldiers the opportunity to deal with it.

What I really liked was that Mclay does not portray himself as the god of PTSD, by illustrating that there is no perfect treatment for PTSD.

 I further appreciated that he remembered that the soldiers’ families have to deal with PTSD as well.

Overall, a thoughtful and cautious, yet hopeful, look into PTSD and virtual reality.

Both Sides of Iraq

Although, I’m thrilled that President Obama will be bringing many troops home from Iraq by the end of the year, I can also understand the everyday Iraqis apprehension at this plan.

 From the United States side, its’ about time given the public has grown impatient waiting for Iraq to become stable; amid reports of sectarian violence. I don’t think the American people would tolerate another year or five at current troop levels without demanding the Commander in Chief’s ouster. Factoring in the sloth-like state of the economy and the bitter partisanship occurring in Washington these days.

For the Iraqis, they see an army that is under prepared, a questionable government, and a country that still has much rebuilding ahead of it. Meanwhile, Iran wants to influence the on the ground situation in Iraq, and is already doing so according to some sources.

 One can understand why the average Iraqi would not be enthusiastic about the prospect of an Iraq without American boots on the ground. I have a great deal of empathy for the Iraqi people, but the American reality is inescapable.