Section 14

“Meanwhile people like James Peterson, husband of Kateri of the Olive Garden breakdown,”

This is a categorical claim, putting James in a category with other veterans whose PTSD has not only damaged their own mental health, but also caused suffering to emerge in the minds of their family members. It’s also in a sense a definition claim, defining James as Kateri’s husband.

“James was so anxious and so suicidal that he couldn’t even muster the self-preservation to get into inpatient treatment.”

This categorical claim categorizes anxiety and suicidality as symptoms of PTSD which hinders James’ impetus to self-preserve, as well as categorizing inpatient treatment as a means of self-preservation.

“With three kids, eight, five, and two, and Kateri’s full-time job”

A categorical claim, not only putting the three children in a category as being the children of the couple, but also categorizing them and Kateri’s job as Kateri’s responsibilites outside of managing her husband’s various challenges. It also categorizes Kateri’s job as full-time.

“she could no longer manage his emotional plus physical problems: rheumatism consults, neuro consults for TBI, plus a burning rash on both feet he got in Fallujah in 2004.”

This categorical claim puts his emotional and physical challenges in a category together, and also lists some of the issues that fall under the category of physical problems.

“Chemical exposure, stress reaction, no one knows”

This is a categorical claim categorizing these two conditions as possible cause of the foot rash.

“Finally they enrolled him in a private clinical trial to get a needleful of anesthetic injected into a bundle of nerves at the top of his collarbone.”

Another definitional claim, defining the private clinical trial by explaining the process.

“Kateri, despite wishing her system hadn’t learned to run at a heightened state, at this point is like a drug addict, needing stimulation to maintain it.”

This categorical claim categorizes both Kateri and drug addicts as people who have developed a dependance on an outside stimulus.