Brothers: A Manifestation of PTSD

As you all may know, I enjoy reading television more than I like watching it. If you were unaware of this, let me explain. I keep myself updated on the shows I typically watch or am fascinated with by reading the once-a-week recaps that are published after an episode premieres, due to either a lack of time to watch or disinterest in that particular plot or episode. And one of the greatest moments that can occur while perusing these articles on the world-wide interweb, is finding a reference to something we have learned in psychology! The "reading T.V." is just a fun fact, and doesn't have much to do with my blog. I just thought I'd throw it in in there. However, finding a reference to psychology is the subject of my blog post.  Since psychological disorders are something the producers on every major television network/movie corporation incorporate at least once in the history of their programs, and it just so happens to be the chapter we are learning in psychology, it was my lucky day (check my Megillot blog title for that joke).

One of the most startling disorders to learn about was post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, as it completely consumes your thoughts and actions. Our memories exist in part to protect us in the future. However, sometimes, for some of us, the unforgettable takes over our lives in what is called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder characterized by hauntings, memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, flashbacks, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that linger for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience. PTSD symptoms have been reported by survivors of accidents, disasters, and violent and sexual assaults, along with many war veterans. Research indicates that the greater one’s emotional distress during a trauma, the higher the risk for post-traumatic symptoms. And the more frequent an assault experience, the more adverse the long-term outcomes tend to be. A sensitive limbic system seems to increase vulnerability, by flooding the body with stress hormones again and again as images of the traumatic experience erupt into consciousness. Genes may also play a role, as some combat-exposed men have identical twins who did not experience combat, yet these non-exposed co-twins tend to share their brother’s risk for cognitive difficulties, such as unfocused attention. Such findings suggest that some PTSD symptoms may actually be genetically predisposed.

In 2009, the movie Brothers was released, and it dealt with the effects of PTSD. Sam Cahill (played by Tobey Maguire) is a Marine captain taken captive along with his hometown friend, Private Joe Willis. Sam and Joe are abused and tortured by their captors, and in a segment of the film, Sam is forced, at gunpoint, to beat Joe to death with a lead pipe. Upon returning home, Sam is stuck in a state of haunting paranoia, and refuses to reveal the source of his pain and what he endured in Afghanistan. At one point, Sam becomes so completely enraged that he leaves a path of physical destruction, destroying the family's newly remodeled kitchen with a crowbar. Things escalate rapidly, to the point where Sam nearly commits suicide. At the end of the movie (SPOILER), Sam is put into a mental institution and finally opens himself up to his grieving wife, and contemplates whether he will ever be able to resume his life normally.

Brothers was a manifestation of PTSD. Throughout the movie, you see that PTSD not only affects the individual plagued by it, but the family as well. There is some truly magnificent acting in the movie, and I highly recommend watching it.

What are some movies you have seen that dealt with a psychological disorder? If you saw them after taking this course, would you look at them differently? What are some examples?