ABSTRACT
Many went absent without leave after returning to the United States, as if the military was the situation they were avoiding. Many of these servicemen were abusing drugs, most commonly marijuana and alcohol. Some were abusing or addicted to heroin. Almost all of the drug abusers claimed to have begun their use and abuse before their overseas experiences but reported that the abuse had become much more frequent and intense during their time in Vietnam. Disaster Psychiatry Outreach contacted his, along with many other New York and US psychiatrists, asking for volunteers to provide psychiatric assistance to people affected by the attacks. A striking example of this derealisation was experienced by an architect in his 50s. His office building was not directly affected by the world trade centre disaster, though it was only a block away.
