It is not unusual for him to report that he feels dead inside. In the combat situation, numbing was an effective adaptive mechanism to avoid a breakdown. He would then be less susceptible to the feelings associated with loss. He very effectively learned to hold back his feelings, and he continues to employ the same mechanisms today. The veteran is extremely cynical about society in general, but particularly concerning the law and authority figures.
Many veterans hold themselves accountable as individuals for combat killings.
Their divorce and suicide rate exceeds that of their civilian peers and also that of non-combat Vietnam veterans. Upon his return home, the veteran was frequently rebuffed in his efforts to discuss his experiences with his wife or family. They, along with the rest of society, wanted to forget the war. The forgetting and the refusal to listen, only served to heighten his numbing process. Another factor to consider once again is the guerrilla nature of the war, in which even women and children were the enemy.