In 1973, Stockdale was finally released and returned to the U.S., where he was reunited with Sybil. They would go on to pen a co-memoir together, In Love and War: The Story of a Family's Ordeal During the Vietnam Years, which became a national best seller and a successful made-for-television movie.
People with startle disease have an exaggerated startle reflex in response to noise and touch, followed by muscle stiffness, which can cause breathing problems and even sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).iew full size image. We all jump at an unexpected noise or touch, but in some people, this startle response is exaggerated, and can cause falls and even death. Now, researchers in the United Kingdom have found new genes for this rare disorder, known as startle disease, or more formally as hyperekplexia.
It may also be the case that a heightened startle response is more likely soon after the trauma but for those traumatized many years ago, their startle response may approach the average. However, when a startle stimuli reminds the person with combat PTSD of his or her trauma, the response will likely be heightened. So, while a car backfiring can startle anyone, a person with PTSD may have a startle response that causes them to âhit the deckâ because it reminds him or her of enemy fire.