Love, War & PTSD: Peter & Anna Mohan
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is usually a soldier’s story. This pair of broadcasts tells, instead, the story of a couple. Originally aired on WFCR (New England) in May and December, 2007.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is usually a soldier’s story. This pair of broadcasts tells, instead, the story of a couple. Peter and Anna Mohan were just married when Peter left to serve in the Army in Iraq. The story of how they tried to save their relationship when Peter returned suffering from PTSD is a poignant and precise depiction of war’s effects on everyday life. As reporter/producer Karen Brown wrote to the Dart Center, “My final impression was that, if all the love and understanding that was present in the Mohan marriage wasn’t enough to overcome PTSD, then this is truly a devastating condition with broad, public-health ramifications.”
Part One: Marriage Suffers Under the Strain of PTSD
05/28/2007
Reporter Karen Brown forgoes narration to let Anna and Peter Mohan's words tell the story of how their happy marriage has struggled since Peter returned from Iraq as a different person: “morose, withdrawn and, eventually, suicidal.” As the story ends, Peter is getting help for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but his future — and therefore their future — is uncertain.
Download or listen to part one:
Part Two: Divorce is Hidden Cost of Iraq War, Couple Says
12/18/2007
Six months later, Peter and Anna are getting a divorce: an increasingly common story among returning combat veterans. They share their story with Karen Brown to show that “love and understanding are not enough to battle a clinical condition like PTSD.”
Download or listen to part two:
