PTSD: War's lingering grip intensifies with dementia

PTSD: War's lingering grip intensifies with dementia
Florida Today
Written by
Dr. Pamela Tronetti

When my kids were small, we lived near the Norristown (Pa.) State Mental Hospital. Founded in 1880, it housed dozens of buildings, including a ward for Civil War veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Back then it was called “soldier’s heart,” and described the veteran’s erratic behavior and attitude. In World War I, it was called shell shock. And World War II brought the term combat fatigue.

In our practice, we see a late-life variant of PTSD. Although we have a few surviving World War II vets, most have fought in Korea, Vietnam and other conflicts.

They lived their lives before our society encouraged public admission of trauma, fear and anxiety. They soldiered on.

Oh, maybe they tied one on and broke down after sharing a few war stories with their buddies. But mostly they kept it under wraps.

Until they developed dementia.

In dementia, the day-to-day is lost, but memories of times past float unbidden to the surface.
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