George Carlin saved my life. In those times when all was darkness. In those times when it seemed like nobody understood what I thought I understood. George was always there with just enough wisdom to get me down the road for just one more mile.
George had this to say on PTSD. It bears repeating here:
”There's a condition in combat. Most people know about it. It's when a fighting person's nervous system has been stressed to its absolute peak and maximum; it can't take any more input. The nervous system has either snapped or is about to snap.
In the First World War that condition was called “Shell Shock.” Simple, honest, direct language. Two syllables. Shell Shock. Almost sounds like the guns themselves.
That was seventy years ago. Then a whole generation went by, and the Second World War came along. The very same combat condition was called “Battle Fatigue.” Four syllables now. Takes a little longer to say. Doesn't seem to hurt as much. Fatigue is a nicer word than shock. Shell shock . . . battle fatigue.
Then we had the war in Korea in 1950. Madison Avenue was riding high by that time. And the very same combat condition was called “Operational Exhaustion.” Hey, we're up to eight syllables now! And the humanity has been squeezed completely out of the phrase. It's totally sterile now. Operational Exhaustion: sounds like something that might happen to your car.
Then of course came the war in Vietnam, which has only been over for about 16 or 17 years. And thanks to the lies and deceit surrounding that war, I guess it's no surprise that the very same condition is now called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Still eight syllables, but we've added a hyphen, and the pain is completely buried under jargon. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
I bet you, if we'd still been calling it Shell Shock, some of those Vietnam veterans might have gotten the attention they needed at the time. I’ll bet you that. I'll betcha.
But it didn't happen. And one of the reasons is because we were using that soft language, that language that takes out the life out of life.”
Truer words were never spoken. Rest well tonight, sir.