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(4) <br /> • order (not a mental disorder) . The symptoms of this problem are (Goodwin) : <br /> Depression: Many vets must endure sleep disturbances, feelings of <br /> worthlessness, and lack of concentration. <br /> Isolation: Vets often have few friends, feel distant from their peers, <br /> and lack positive support from Americans. <br /> Rage: Vets are easily angered and mistrust the "system" or authority. <br /> Alienation: Some vets feel emotionally dead. <br /> Nightmares and Disturbed Sleep: Vets suffer from.nightmares and delay <br /> of sleep. <br /> Intrusive Thoughts: Many vets have flashbacks stimulated by certain noises, <br /> odors, and sights. They think about what could have been done to alter bad <br /> situations-- they replay combat experiences. They also try to deal with the <br /> death of a friend. In society we have many processes and rituals to deal <br /> withV eath-- in Vietnam the combatant had to procede with the war, their <br /> emotions were stifled. <br /> Two common behavioral paths have been followed by Vietnam veterans <br /> having these stress symptoms,Many have "dropped out of life" and many <br /> have acquired a dependency, a seeming addiction, to the Veteran's Admin- <br /> istration, according to Dr, Erwin Parson, a psychologist and V.A. of- <br /> ficial. The former group is alienated from society and especially from <br /> any fragment of the system and authority that had been responsible for <br /> them'goingto Vietnam, The latter group, meanwhile, has similar hostile <br /> and cynical feelings, but has adopted an attitude towards the government <br /> and the V.A. that Parsons says is akin to these emotions: "you have de- <br /> prived me; devastated me; coerced me to everything you. wanted; yes, you <br /> screwed me up; now, you take care of my needs-- all of them without <br /> question." In either case, the troubled vet leads a desperate life de- <br /> void of the happiness, security, and success for which we all strive. <br /> For too many vets, the war's agony continues long after the fighting. <br /> Solutions to the Problems of Troubled VEVs: The Goals of the Nam Vets <br /> Association of Cape Cod and the Islands: . <br /> Both Dr. Goodwin and Dr. Parsons suggest the same remedy for the <br /> veteran with psychological troubles emenating from the Vietnam ex- <br /> perience. They urge that the vet begin to communicate with other Vietnam <br /> veterans and with trained clinicians. Vet Centers, facilities staffed <br /> by trained Vietnam vets, provide the best means to aid those vets in <br /> need. Parsons says the ideal center is one "in the vets community, near <br /> his loved ones, friends, home, and familar physical surroundings. Because <br /> of some veterans' fear and distrust of centralized establishment insti- <br /> tutions, a de-centered community-based treatment center may be needed <br />