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JULY 23-29, 2014 UCW 11 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Hollow Men On Stage at the Gilbert by DR. GAIL MORFESIS ptsd by the numbers While Hollow Men deals with PTSD and Vietnam-era veterans, the struggles apply to warriors of every conflict. According to www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/ basics/how-common-is-ptsd.asp: Posttraumatic stress disorder can occur after you have been through a trauma. A trauma is a shocking and scary event that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others' lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or think that you have no control over what is hap- pening. Going through trauma is not rare and going through a trauma does not mean you'll get PTSD. • About 7 or 8 out of every 100 people (or 7-8 percent of the population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives. • About 5.2 million adults have PTSD during a given year. This is only a small por- tion of those who have gone through a trauma. • Women are more likely than men to develop PTSD. About 10 percent of women develop PTSD sometime in their lives compared with 5 percent of men. • In about 11-20 percent of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom), or in the range of 11-20 veterans out of 100 who served in OEF/OIF. • In as many as 10 percent of Gulf War (Desert Storm) Veterans, or in 10 Gulf War Veterans out of 100. • In about 30 percent of Vietnam veterans, or about 30 out of 100 Vietnam Veterans. Although most people who go through trauma will not get PTSD, you are more likely to develop PTSD if you: • Were directly exposed to the trauma as a victim or a witness • Were seriously hurt during the event • Went through a trauma that was long-lasting or very severe • Believed that you were in danger • Believed that a family member was in danger • Had a severe reaction during the event, such as crying, shaking, vomiting or feeling apart from your surroundings • Felt helpless during the trauma and were not able to help yourself or a loved one You are also more likely to develop PTSD if you: • Had an earlier life-threatening event or trauma, such as being abused as a child • Have another mental health problem • Have family members who have had mental health problems • Have little support from family and friends • Have recently lost a loved one, especially if it was not expected • Have had recent, stressful life changes • Drink a lot of alcohol • Are a woman • Are poorly educated • Are younger There are many sources for people who are struggling with PTSD. Military OneSource offers a resource guide at http://www.militaryonesource.mil/footer?content_id=277441. Confidential help is also available via face-to-face counseling, online counseling and telephonic counseling including nonmedical and specialty consultations. Suicide Prevention info: Fort Bragg Help Line 396-HELP (4357). National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-suicide, (800)784-2433, National Lifeline: (800)273-TALK (8255), Military One Source: (800)342-9647. Hollow- Having a hole or empty space inside: Without signifi- cance: Insincere: Phrase example: beat someone hollow Some came with questions, some came seeking answers and some came for entertainment alone — but none left unchanged. As audience members left The Gilbert Theater's preview, debut performance of Hollow Men, by local playwright Stephen Miles, some were subdued, cocooned in silence, while others were in- censed with denial or revulsion, yet others met and questioned the cast about their experience with the subject matter, script and its affect on their performance and them as fellow human sojourners. Has a serious theatrical work performed its task and completed itself with provoking thought in its audience? I think not. In the Gilbert's Green Room following the play, lead actor Stanley Seay spoke of his preparation for the play, which included frank conversations with neighbors and acquaintances about their experience in the military, reliving eyewitness accounts of horror and devastation as well as camaraderie and the thought of some- one "having your back." In the play, Gerry and Sandra Oxford's, played by Stanley Seay and Nicki Hart, lives are changed forever by Gerry's wartime trauma and his struggle for recovery at the famed Walter Reed Hospital. We witness first hand his spiral downward into depres- sion and substance abuse. Fellow soldier, medic and friend, John Sadler moves to their small town to open a much-needed medical clinic and attempts to rekindle their friendship through scenes of concern and tough love but the dye is already cast. The cast describes it best in statements given during an inter- view with Brandon Herring for WNCN News: "It's not an upbeat play I'm sorry to say, but I think it's a realis- tic one," laywright Stephen Miles said. "I hope it makes the audi- ence think about what our nation does in our name and the cost. Whereas I went to Vietnam for two tours, they're going five, six and seven tours. I can't even imagine that." "It needs to be told. It shouldn't be swept up under the carpet. It shouldn't be ignored," actor, Stanley Seay said. "Let's be honest. PTSD is not happy and fluffy. This play could maybe turn that blind eye into an open eye so that they can do something to help their neighbor, or their friend or their family member," said actress, Nicki Hart. "This play is very visceral and raw," added actor Sebastian Ar- royo. "This is something that's important to the community,"' said di- rector Brian Adam Kline. "It starts a conversation." Lead actors, Seay and Hart are dynamic in their creation of the tension and deep psychological grief experienced by their charac- ters. I commend them on their craft because this type of character analysis and preparation does not come without cost. As a review- er, I would have liked just one scene of reminiscence between the medic and the wife about the man they both respected and loved. It would have provided the audience with a respite in this depiction of the "storm and stress" of life. Local physician, Andrew Morfesis stated that he "admired Miles courage in telling this story of which Miles must have had personal experience to be so insightful." The playwright indeed served as an Army helicopter pilot in Vietnam for 18 months in the late '60s and early 1970s and was wounded in combat. He first confronted his military experience onstage with his play "Deros: A Vietnam Tril- ogy" staged at N.C. State University. The play won a 1986 play- writing award. Scenes from the play were presented during Fay- etteville's "Heroes Homecoming: A Tribute to Local Vietnam War Veterans" in 2011. Hollow Men runs through July 27 at the Gilbert Theater, 116 Green Street. Call the box office for ad- ditional information at 910- 678-7186. DR. GAIL MORFESIS, Contributing Writer COMMENTS? Editor@upand- comingweekly.com.