Tag Archive | shell shock

How War Damages and Destroys The Brain: Blast Wounds, PTSD, and Neurological Damage & Decline

Jun24

Blast force wounds are common in modern warfare and leave long-term neurological and emotional damage“War is hell.” General Sherman Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891), who led Union forces through the South during the United States Civil War, made not only this insightful observation on the nature of fighting wars, but also added “War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it;…”

The ultimate purpose of war is malevolent: to maim, to injure, to destroy, and to kill to force one group of people to surrender to another group of people. Continue reading →

Military Service, War, and Dementia Risks for Veterans

May29

Samuel Anderson Foster (1898 - 1936) Oakland Presbyterian Cemetery, Telford, TennesseeWe pause on Memorial Day 2016 (in the United States) to remember our deceased military veterans.

I also pause to remember all those who have died – especially the civilians who weren’t drafted or who didn’t volunteer, but who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and became collateral damage – because of war because they should not be forgotten either.

However, in light of Memorial Day, it seems fitting that we should also consider how military service and war increase the risks of developing dementia for veterans. Continue reading →