Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Violence

The recent events in Washington D.C. have now raised the question did Aaron Alexis suffer from PTSD and did that drive him towards this shooting?

In May 6, 2004, in Seattle Alexis was arrested for shooting out the tires of another man's vehicle in what he later described as "an anger-fueled 'blackout,'" according to the Seattle Police Department. Alexis did not appear to suffer from the typical symptoms of PTSD.

So what did clues about Alexis are available:

• Alexis reportedly heard voices, indicating paranoia,
• Alexis suffered from sleep disorders (#)
• His father said he had anger management issues
• He had several run ins with law enforcement, two for discharging firearms.
• Alexis had a history of playing video games, actually missed work because of it.
• Investigators later spoke with Alexis' father, who told police that his son had anger management problems associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, which he suffered after working "as an active participant in rescue attempts" during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York, the report said. Although there is no concrete record Alexis did anything like that at all.(1)
• Alexis converted to Buddhism
• According to a former roommate, Alexis was "frustrated with life." and he was having a hard time getting on his feet. 
• Alexis was also very frustrated with his current employer, the contracted company for the Navy Shipyard. A dispute over pay from being aboard on behalf of the company.
• Another roommate, stated that Alexis was fascinated by guns, "He was ... knowledgeable with military rifles and handguns. At least he led us to believe he was. But nobody ever had the idea that he would use them in a derogatory way," he said. (2)

A fellow colleague Andy O'Hara a retired California Highway Patrol Officer and founder of Badge of Life wrote an article titled "Does PTSD cause Violence?"  In this article they sum up the effects of PTSD and discuss the cause of PTSD and how it manifests itself among our U.S.

Military.  Here is an excerpt from that article....

But what about the actual PTSD symptoms? What are they, and do they typically include violent behaviors, like murder?

 

Simply put, PTSD is “fear” based, not “aggression” based. The DSM-IV-R (Diagnostic Statistical Manual, Revised) is clear. In brief, the primary features of the this illness are:

•  flashbacks
• withdrawal
• numbing
• hyperarousal
• and isolation.

Violence is not included. In fact, not one single research study exists linking violent behavior with the diagnosis of PTSD. While, anger and agitation are common symptoms of PTSD, these feelings tend to be turned inward, contributing to making it the terribly painful disorder it is. Combined with depression, it is not unusual for the sufferer to become suicidal. But a diagnosis of PTSD, in itself, does not make a person violent towards others. Again, the concern should be more that they will be a

danger to themselves, not others. There is a possibility, of course, that unintentional harm could come to others as the result of a suicide attempt, not only by gunshot, but though an intentional automobile accident, jumping from a building, or any other number of self-destructive acts. John Violanti, Ph.D., in his book, “Police Suicide: Epidemic in Blue,” points out the interesting phenomenon of “suicide by suspect,” in which an officer consciously or unconsciously wishes to die and willfully involves himself in situations of extreme danger or confrontation with a criminal, thereby increasing the risk of death. Even so, in these situations the danger to others is indirect and unintentional.

 

The unfortunate result of this misinformation is that more and more cases are erroneously using the defense that PTSD is to blame for murders by veterans when, in fact, there were other emotional disorders and problems involved, including prior anger issues, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and substance abuse, that were more likely responsible for the individual’s violent behavior. Society already views the mentally ill as "dangerous"--we need to be very careful not to further stigmatize these people via this illness by suggesting that a violent/murderous potential exists or was the primary factor until everything has been examined.

In the article there is mention of other issues such as emotional disorders and problems involved with prior anger issues, which Aaron Alexis definitely displayed throughout his adult life. Other factors such as traumatic brain injury and substance abuse, are most often likely responsible for the violent behavior.