Holden Caulfield’s Degenerative PTSD
There are many ways that Holden goes through the symptoms and stages of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It can be proven that Holden Caulfield has PTSD because he faces several emotional and physical symptoms of PTSD, he has a hard time overcoming the death of his brother and as a result he can not move forward in life. “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers” (Post 1). Holden had seen his younger brother Alliego …show more content…
“Most people who experience such events recover from them, but people with PTSD continue to be severely depressed and anxious for months or even years following the event.” (Posttraumatic 1). Several times throughout the novel Holden uses the word, “depressed” to describe how he feels about something. The fact that he often says he is depressed can clearly lead us to the conclusion that he is actually depressed. “Hans would just shake hands with them and give them a phony smile and then he 'd go talk, for maybe a half an hour, with somebody else 's parents. I can 't stand that stuff. It drives me crazy. It makes me so depressed I go crazy. I hated that goddam Elkton Hills” (Salinger 6). Holden is saying that it makes him depressed when people show their manners and are being polite. It doesn’t exactly say why this depresses him. However, from the text it can be concluded that it depressed him because he does not feel that people are being their true selves when being polite as Hans was. From the way that Holden states and refers to being depressed is another component that can prove that he truly has …show more content…
“Also, drinking and drug problems, which can be an attempt to cope with PTSD, can destroy intimacy and friendships. Verbal or physical violence can occur” (PTSD 1). There are times when Holden attempts or even does drink, smoke and fight throughout the novel. "Dear, are you allowed to order drinks?" she asked me. Not snotty, though. She was too charming and all to be snotty."Well, no, not exactly, but I can usually get them on account of my height," I said.”
(Salinger 31). Holden tries to order a an alcoholic beverage but the older women that he was with noticed so he did not. That was one of the few times Holden tried to order an alcoholic beverage and in the text he said that he can normally get away with it, he has drank alcohol several times before. “After a while I sat down in a chair and smoked a couple of cigarettes” (Salinger 34). In one sitting Holden decided to smoke more than one cigarette this definitely is a sign and symptom of PTSD. Holden tries to use drinking and smoking to cope with his PTSD and ultimately his pain due to Allie’s
There are many ways that Holden goes through the symptoms and stages of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It can be proven that Holden Caulfield has PTSD because he faces several emotional and physical symptoms of PTSD, he has a hard time overcoming the death of his brother and as a result he can not move forward in life. “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers” (Post 1). Holden had seen his younger brother Alliego …show more content…
“Most people who experience such events recover from them, but people with PTSD continue to be severely depressed and anxious for months or even years following the event.” (Posttraumatic 1). Several times throughout the novel Holden uses the word, “depressed” to describe how he feels about something. The fact that he often says he is depressed can clearly lead us to the conclusion that he is actually depressed. “Hans would just shake hands with them and give them a phony smile and then he 'd go talk, for maybe a half an hour, with somebody else 's parents. I can 't stand that stuff. It drives me crazy. It makes me so depressed I go crazy. I hated that goddam Elkton Hills” (Salinger 6). Holden is saying that it makes him depressed when people show their manners and are being polite. It doesn’t exactly say why this depresses him. However, from the text it can be concluded that it depressed him because he does not feel that people are being their true selves when being polite as Hans was. From the way that Holden states and refers to being depressed is another component that can prove that he truly has …show more content…
“Also, drinking and drug problems, which can be an attempt to cope with PTSD, can destroy intimacy and friendships. Verbal or physical violence can occur” (PTSD 1). There are times when Holden attempts or even does drink, smoke and fight throughout the novel. "Dear, are you allowed to order drinks?" she asked me. Not snotty, though. She was too charming and all to be snotty."Well, no, not exactly, but I can usually get them on account of my height," I said.”
(Salinger 31). Holden tries to order a an alcoholic beverage but the older women that he was with noticed so he did not. That was one of the few times Holden tried to order an alcoholic beverage and in the text he said that he can normally get away with it, he has drank alcohol several times before. “After a while I sat down in a chair and smoked a couple of cigarettes” (Salinger 34). In one sitting Holden decided to smoke more than one cigarette this definitely is a sign and symptom of PTSD. Holden tries to use drinking and smoking to cope with his PTSD and ultimately his pain due to Allie’s