Analysis Of Billy Lynn s Long Halftime Walk - 1344 Words

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk Augusto Gutierrez University of Houston Abnormal Psychology 4321 Description Billy Lynn is the main character in the movie Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk a decorated combat veteran who is home on a victory tour. Throughout the last day of his tour we are seen the unfurling of events through his eyes and are allowed in his head. From going to the football stadium and having flashbacks to a market in Iraq every sudden movement is a signal for an impending attack by insurgent forces. Upon entering the stadium and a long stretch of halls feeding into the seats he immediately develops a form of tunnel vision, visually inspecting and assessing perceived threats.†¦show more content†¦Billy experiences intrusive thoughts, flashbacks and emotional distress after the event occurred which we see throughout the events of the film. Criterion C states that avoidance of trauma-related stimuli after the trauma which can be broken down into two forms internal and external. The internal in the trauma-related thoughts or feelings with the external being trauma-related reminders such as people, actions, locations, specific dates and so on. Billy exhibits these markers as his thoughts constantly drift from his present location to Iraq. Criterion D address the individual experiencing negative thoughts or feelings that commenced or intensified after the trauma had passed. Some of the ways this can manifest itself if in the individual’s inability to recall key features about the event, extremely negative beliefs about oneself, feeling of isolation, and loose of interest in previously enjoyed activates. Billy experiences this in the form of negative thoughts of the himself and difficulty experiencing positive affects. In terms of behaviors Criterion E describes behaviors that happened at the time of the trauma or worsen over time. This can include aggression or irritability, Irritability or aggression, risky or destructive behavior, hypervigilance, heightened startle reaction, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping (1). While we don’t know how well or poorly he is