ABSTRACT
Maintaining control of the body has been an instrumental part of Australia's military history. Military personnel were instilled with aggression and were taught to repress most other emotions in training. This behaviour was further encouraged in war and it was reinforced once veterans returned home by notions of masculinity. Most veterans continued to exercise control over their feelings and some continued to solve their problems with violence and aggression. For veterans who returned from war suffering from psychological disorders, controlling the body is of immense importance. These veterans attempt to control their bodies both physically and psychologically to shield their private problems from the public sphere. Social isolation is one method some veterans use to control their emotions and subsequent behaviours. Others use drugs, especially alcohol and nicotine, to chemically alter their mental states. Despite some veterans’ efforts to control their bodies, negative emotions such as anxiety, nervousness, paranoia, moodiness and anger dominate their behaviours. As such, some mentally ill veterans experience profound difficulty in their working, social and home lives.
