Healing Power of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for some but pain for others

There needs to be something said right here and right now. While it's true there is great healing for most at the Wall, there is also another part of this story. There are some veterans unprepared for the power of the Wall. There are some that find their PTSD awakened because of a journey to this magnificent expression of their grief and loss.

I've had a few over the years stunned by thinking they came home ok from Vietnam only to find that once they stand in front of the Wall, they walk away in pain. Pain that had been sleeping inside of them since the 60's or 70's, fully taking control over their lives after. For them, seeing the Wall is their secondary stressor.

If you know a Vietnam veteran, do not push them to go to see the Wall. Take them to see some of the traveling walls touring the country. Make sure you stay by their side and are there, ready to listen if they need to talk. If they react badly, it's not a good idea to take them to Washington. If they seem fine with the traveling wall or say they feel better after seeing it, then they are ready for the monument in Washington. Again, stay by their side and be ready for what they need from you.

The majority find it healing and that is very true but we cannot dismiss that for some it's more painful than they were prepared for.

The Healing Power of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
New research finds visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial helps vets suffering from PTSD. But a single visit isn’t enough.
April 23, 2010

By Tom Jacobs

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., occupies a “remarkable place in America’s collective heart,” as Colin Powell noted during a 2007 ceremony marking its 25th anniversary. But does visiting the famous wall, in which the names of the more than 58,000 American casualties are etched in highly polished black granite, help psychologically wounded survivors cope with their loss?

A newly published study suggests it does, although multiple visits are apparently required for the positive effect to take hold. The paper, in the journal Environment and Behavior, looks at the way veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder respond to the memorial’s various design features, which combine to facilitate the process of mourning.
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Healing Power of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial