Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a widely known and highly discussed disease. American Psychiatric Association (2013) describes a feature of PTSD as “the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure to one or more traumatic events” (p.274). This disorder is primarily found in victims of physical assaults and sexual abuse or war participants. PTSD can be diagnosed even in fiction characters of films and books. This discussion board post will examine the criteria the protagonist of the film “Rambo” meets for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Rambo is the main hero of the eponymous film, and he is shown as a military veteran exposed to traumatic events that affected his mental health. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2013), experiencing traumatic events, witnessing the events, learning that a traumatic event occurred to a close person, and is exposed to aversive details of events are the triggers of PTSD. As a participant in the war, Rambo killed many enemies and witnessed his close friends’ deaths that indicate his predisposition to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
The other criteria for PTSD that Rambo meets is the apparent presence of symptoms. Throughout the film, Rambo often recalls moments of him killing people or his comrades deaths. He has been experiencing such flashbacks for a considerable time. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2013), recurrent intrusive memories of traumatic events, distressing dreams, and dissociative reactions are the symptoms of PTSD. The mentioned evidence proves that Rambo has a predisposition to PTSD and the actual symptoms.
In addition, it is possible to notice the avoidance of stimuli associated with traumatic events in Rambo’s behavior. He intentionally tries to avoid triggers of these memories and can lose control in situations that remind him of war. American Psychiatric Association (2013) states that efforts to avoid distressing thoughts, feelings, and external reminders are the symptoms of PTSD. Evidence supports the statement that Rambo has Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, as he meets several criteria.
Reference
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Association.