ABSTRACT
Museum programming for military veterans, as well as active duty personnel, whether newly returned from a combat role in Iraq or Afghanistan, can play a significant role in helping veterans deal with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder that can occur after one has seen or experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death. PTSD can affect people of all ages. It can follow a natural disaster such as a flood or fire, or events such as: assault, domestic abuse, a stay in prison, rape, terrorism, and, of course, war/combat, which is the type of event that we will look at. This paper focuses on PTSD in returning veterans and how museums are facilitating programs to help veterans adjust to their experiences in war.
