Journal 5 PTSD Gabrial

Child Soldier Living in the civilian Front.

chapter 16 it starts off explaining how the children soldiers initially get used to civilized life as they go through withdrawls of drugs and violence causing fits of violence and rebelious and or un moral actions. as the chapter progresses Ishmeal aswell as the other children start encountering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder causes a major migraine and later on it causes major issues.Nearing the end of the chapter Ishmael starts to remember major events such as nicknames and gruesomely burying people alive while laughing about it and being assured that it wasnt his fault.

The idea or theme of the chapter is Recovery and PTSD. It effects Ishmeal and other children soldiers in a number of ways. First of all the PTSD causes everyone to react in different ways such as Ishmeals migraine and others act in violence atd some just break down in tears and halucinations of brutal or past events causing them to relive their previous life. Secondly the withdrawls made the children into violent little beasts off the bat willing to fight each other till it became bloody or violently lashed out on the staff helping with their recovery. Lastly they became desperate in order to make their addiction feel better such as stealing pills or rolling up papers inorder to try to fool himself so that they feel better.

It may not have been PTSD but i sometimes when I am worried i remember detail by detail a stressful part of my life. Around 2 to 3 years ago i was sitting at a computer watching a yugioh video when suddenly an explosion caused the floor of my house to shake. Within seconds my family and I raced outside just to sit in shock as we saw our neighbors house three houses down was on fire and i mean almost all of it was consumed by the flame. the smoke was so dense that it made me scared that i was a victim to get attacked when i least expected it and my parents faces as well as my sister crying didn't help my fear. Fire trucks had pulled up and everyone scrambled trying to make sure no one was inside the house while all i could do is sit in horror as the building started to collapse. Movement was everywhere and curses could be heard from everyone except my old neighbor (who finally got locked up a month or two later)hours had passed when they finally put it out we all knew who had done it but no one had any proof to get him locked up so against my parents will i stayed up till 3 am armed with a kitchen knife desperate to protect my home till he was caught.