WASHINGTON — Roy Matthews can’t cope with life after combat; he smokes, drinks and wanders the streets alone at night. His wife and daughter feel disconnected from him. Matthews, back from deployment in Iraq, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Matthews’ situation is not unusual: About one out of every six soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD, according to the Department of Veteran Affairs.
But Matthews is just a character in the movie “Purple Mind”, launched exclusively on Facebook on June 27, PTSD awareness day.
“What I’d really like to hear is that someone saw the movie and, because of seeing it, was encouraged to reach out and get help,” said Eric Stacey, director and producer of the movie.
Stacey, a longtime independent moviemaker who wants to create buzz-worthy films, said Purple Mind is intended to add heat to an already hot-button issue of military health care for combat veterans. The movie tag line is, “The Army trained us to go to war, but nobody trained us to come home.”
Stacey relied on written testimonies from Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to develop Matthews’ character. He drew from oral resources, including interviews with members of groups like Iraq Veterans Against War. Stacey also consulted mental health experts, as well as the Returning Veterans Project in Portland, Ore., where he lives.
“I really applaud Eric for doing the movie and getting it out there,” said Belle Landau, director of the Returning Veterans Project.
Landau, who makes deals with health providers to get Oregon veterans access to care, hopes the movie will help returning troops talk about PTSD and raise awareness that “this is what the results of being in combat might be for some people.”
PTSD symptoms generally come in three types:
1. Re-experiencing symptoms
• Flashback
• Bad dreams
• Frightening thoughts
2. Avoidance symptoms
• Staying away from places
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Feeling strong guilt, depression or worry
• Losing interest in activities that were once enjoyable
• Having trouble remembering the dangerous event
3. Hyperarousal symptoms
• Being easily startled
• Feeling tense or on edge
• Having difficulty sleeping
• Having angry outbursts
Source: National Institute of Mental Health
Instead of working the independent film house circuit, Stacey and his production company opted to release Purple Mind exclusively on Facebook. Flick Launch, a Facebook-only film distribution platform still in its beta form, propels the movie.
“Through Facebook you have the opportunity to become friends and like a lot of organizations,” Stacey said. He’s reached out to a number of groups on the social networking site to gain exposure for the film.
The first 500 people who ‘Like’ the movie on Facebook can view it free. For all others, the movie is available to rent through Flick Launch for $1 a week. In addition to functioning essentially as a digital cinema, the Purple Mind Facebook page includes a number of links to PTSD resources.
Viewers cannot watch Purple Mind on iPhones or iPads because the devices don’t run Flash. However, an Apple friendly viewing option is in the works, Stacey said.