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How does the Psychological Thriller 'Homecoming' explore PTSD in War Veterans?

Sonali Pahuja 


Psychological thrillers have always been a popular genre. In the post 9/11 world scenario, the effects of the ‘war of terror’ has become an overflowing source of stories. Similarly, emerging scientific research in the field of psychology relating to trauma often catches the attention of show makers. ‘Homecoming’ is an Amazon Prime TV series which focuses on the ever-controversial issue of scientific research and the discoveries surrounding the field of psychology. The story revolves around the trial of a certain type of treatment for war veterans who have been suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The show depicts the plight of soldiers returning home and tries to unfold the aftereffects of war in a subtle but impactful way. 

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault. People who have PTSD tend to have intense, disturbing thoughts related to their traumatic experience long after it has ended. The pain is sometimes relived in the form of nightmares or sudden flashbacks.  (DSM V, 2013)

The main important element of the treatment that is being given to the war veterans is a newly found drug known to selectively erase memories of trauma. The plot of this show is somewhat based on an investigation that a team from Columbia University and McGill University carried out. The study, which was published in the Current Biology journal in 2018, talked about the possibility of selectively erasing different memories stored in the same neuron. This research has also led to other studies that seek to mitigate the negative effects of traumatic events. The entire project ‘homecoming’ in this show aims to test the effects of this new drug on a handful of war veterans so that if successful, it can get approved by the department of defence of the US government and can be used on all war veterans. The treatment does not completely rely on the effects of the drug but also on therapy, which is given by a therapist who is only partially aware of the project. She believes it is for the betterment of war veterans.
   
Although the main plot of the show seems to have emerged from the ideas about discoveries in the field of psychology about trauma, emotions and memories, it misses out on the details and actuality of the research. The study focuses on the difference between associative and non-associative memories. A lot of the information we store is emotionally neutral but some of it is linked to emotions. Together these make up the complete memory of an event. It was discovered that each type of memory uses a different variant of the kinase M protein, the neurotransmitter that neurons use to store memories. Associative memories use the variant PKM APL III and non-associative memories use another variant: PKM APL I.
    
The study confirmed that painful parts of memory can be erased by applying the inhibitors of the appropriate kinase variant. Breakthrough Therapy is also a psychological tool that is often used to help patients suffering from PTSD. However, it has not been successful in completely eradicating effects of the disorder. Researchers all over the world now want to develop pharmacological approaches to treat PTSD. 
   
The show presents a scenario where this research is being tested at the initial stages but is driven by selfish human greed. All war veterans are nothing but mere specimens for this trial and this showcases how inhuman pharmacological practises can be. they are completely unaware of the testing that is being done on them. All they know is that they are undergoing ‘rehab therapy’ which is being done for smoothening their transition into regular life. The effects of this type of treatment yield many unforeseen and unwanted results in the course of the show. This show also poses the moral dilemma that researchers and scientists have about the effects of new treatments on humans and animals. Research and experimentation have permeable boundaries and sometimes these boundaries are crossed, and these new developments tend to cause more harm than cure.   
  
  
References :  
  
Psychiatry.org. (2019). What Is PTSD?. [online] Available at: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd [Accessed 11 Oct. 2019].  
  
Jurgensen, J. (2019). The Surreal World: TV Delves Into Paranoia, Anxiety and Misinformation. [online] WSJ. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-surreal-world-tv-delves-into-paranoia-anxiety-and-misinformation-1540645108 [Accessed 13 Oct. 2019]. 
  
Exploring your mind. (2019). Homecoming: A Psychological Thriller About Emotions and Memory. [online] Available at: https://exploringyourmind.com/homecoming-psychological-thriller-emotions-memory/ [Accessed 13 Oct. 2019]. 

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