Mr. Wertz Case Summary

Psychological Analysis After reading and analyzing the facts of the case, I believe that the defendant, Mr. Wertz, suffers from the diagnosable mental disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). To be diagnosed with PTSD, an individual must first have been exposed to a traumatic event, either through direct exposure, witnessing first-hand, or learning of the incident from a relative. In the case of Mr. Wertz, a 26-year-old active-duty Army soldier, his two deployments in Iraq led him to witness the death of a fellow soldier, shoot and kill an enemy combatant, and face daily mortar attacks that could have left him injured or dead. In diagnosing an individual with PTSD, it is important to note temporal priority: the symptoms must be present only after exposure to the traumatic event. Mr. Wertz has no history of medical or mental illness, drinks only occasionally, does not use drugs, and has expressed his symptoms only after his return from deployment; therefore, it is unlikely that his symptoms are the result of some other, unrelated factor. …show more content…
Mr. Wertz has been having nightmares—an intrusive symptom—related to his combat experience two to three times per month for two months—this meets the temporal requirement of the disorder. The defendant has also felt “on edge” and is reactive to sounds, sights, and events that resemble his experience in combat; his experience at McDonalds is a clear example of a hyper-arousal symptom. Additionally, Mr. Wertz has experienced a negative alteration in his mood, as he no longer enjoys going to the shooting range like he used to, and avoids it. Given that the facts presented to me are objective and assumed to be true, I have no reason to believe that Mr. Wertz is being dishonest or feigning