Drug War Fallout: PTSD

We usually hear about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the context of returning warriors. Our young service men and women exposed to the raw and gruesome violence of war suffer psychological trauma because of it. What we aren’t used to, but which is becoming the norm, is the same symptoms in children exposed to the war on drugs.

An article that appeared in the Detroit News lays out the substance. Young adults and children in El Paso are described as suffering the same symptoms as those involved in combat. The link seems to be cross-border connections with family and friends in Juarez. Some of the kids are escapees, and many have seen the violence first hand.

According to the article, “Kathy Ortega, director of counseling for the El Paso district, said officials do not keep track of how many students traumatized by border violence seek help, but the number includes both kids who have moved to Texas and others who still live in border cities but cross into the U.S. for school.”

The result is that those seeking opportunity in the U.S. carry the scars with them, and just like our returning soldiers, it takes time and treatment to recover. The steps are known and can be found in a series of guidelines published by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Unfortunately, in guideline two, they admit “There is a paucity of evidence regarding the effectiveness of acute posttrauma interventions for children and adolescents.”

The situation now is put on the backs of teachers and social workers who see the effects. The consequences, when these young men and women grow up, aren’t known. We have a refugee population in Southern Texas. War refugees. And there is little doubt that the situation is even worse for those who cannot escape into the U.S.

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