Below is an interview with the granddaughter of Henry Farr, a British soldier executed for cowardice during WWI. The Shot at Dawn Memorial sculpture of the blindfolded man was modeled after him.
Randy Lundborg of Duluth served in Iraq from 2003-2005. We interviewed him about shell shock today. He was misdiagnosed and over-medicated until the VA diagnosed him with PTSD and was treated by a therapist. Mr. Lundborg currently works as a Veterans Employment Representative.
Q: "Are there still misunderstandings about PTSD among:
- Military personnel?"
A: "That you are a less of a soldier; I think this is changing for the better now though."
- "The civilian population?"
A: "You probably don’t remember Vietnam being an everyday story. I remember watching it on TV. I remember hearing stories about “crazy” vets. They were probably more whacked-out on drugs than PTSD, but one might have been used to help the other."
Q: "How is PTSD treated today?"
A: "From my perspective if you value the counseling you receive and apply the suggestions from you counselor, take prescribed chemicals (anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, etc.) like you are supposed to, you will be fine."
Q: "What kinds of symptoms do soldiers display today that might indicate PTSD?"
A: "In my job the things I see most are; alcohol abuse, an inability to relate to people, lethargy, blame-shifting and the inability to follow-thru with the any step of any plan, no matter how small it may be."
Q: "How common is it among veterans? Any statistics you might be able to share?"
A: "Wow, the numbers vary a lot depending on the source. I think that everyone who goes to war is going to experience some issue at sometime because of their service. I believe most vets who recognize something is wrong fix it, with or without help. For the ones who, for whatever reason choose to not get help, they are going to live really unsatisfying lives."
- Military personnel?"
A: "That you are a less of a soldier; I think this is changing for the better now though."
- "The civilian population?"
A: "You probably don’t remember Vietnam being an everyday story. I remember watching it on TV. I remember hearing stories about “crazy” vets. They were probably more whacked-out on drugs than PTSD, but one might have been used to help the other."
Q: "How is PTSD treated today?"
A: "From my perspective if you value the counseling you receive and apply the suggestions from you counselor, take prescribed chemicals (anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, etc.) like you are supposed to, you will be fine."
Q: "What kinds of symptoms do soldiers display today that might indicate PTSD?"
A: "In my job the things I see most are; alcohol abuse, an inability to relate to people, lethargy, blame-shifting and the inability to follow-thru with the any step of any plan, no matter how small it may be."
Q: "How common is it among veterans? Any statistics you might be able to share?"
A: "Wow, the numbers vary a lot depending on the source. I think that everyone who goes to war is going to experience some issue at sometime because of their service. I believe most vets who recognize something is wrong fix it, with or without help. For the ones who, for whatever reason choose to not get help, they are going to live really unsatisfying lives."