Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD; what is it, what are the symptoms, how is it diagnosed, can it be treated, what affects does it have on the family? Growing up in a household with both parents suffering from PTSD; these are some of the questions I asked myself on weekly bases. Now that I’m married to a military man I find myself asking some of the same questions after each deployment. I wonder if he is going to come back the man I married or come back an unrecognizable void. I have done extensive research on the disorder to try to answer some of the questions that plagued me growing up, and by sharing with you what I have found, the information may give someone else a little more insight of what the disorder really is. What is post-traumatic stress disorder? “Post-traumatic stress disorder is a DSM-IV psychiatric disorder characterized by an acute emotional response to a traumatic event or situation involving severe environmental stress….” ( Mosby’s,2002) PTSD stems from events that you yourself experience, like abuse, combat, or a serious accident, but can also stem from a witnessed threat of harm or death to another, like 9-11-01. After such events happen you may feel scared, angry, or confused, which is perfectly normal but if those feelings don’t subside and start to get worse, there’s a good chance that you have developed PTSD, and need seek psychiatric help. What are the symptoms of PTSD? There a many symptoms to PTSD so they were are put into categories. Some say there are three categories in which PTSD can be grouped and others say there are four categories. They all agree on these three groups so I’m going to give you those. The First group is called re-experiencing; the symptoms within this group a... ... middle of paper ... ...s is determined; the doctor has to determine which form of therapy will work best for the treatment of the patient; exposure therapy, anxiety management, cognitive therapy, medication, or any combination of the four. PTSD is very serious disorder and should not be ignored, it not only hurts the person infected with it, but it hurts everyone around them as well, including the smallest of people in their lives. Works Cited 1) An Overview of PTSD Symptoms By Matthew Tull, PhD, About.com Guide Updated July 08, 2009 http://ptsd.about.com/od/symptomsanddiagnosis/a/PTSDsymptoms.htm 2) Drs. Foa and Riggs are providing their 2001 training manual, Brief Recovery Program (BRP) for Trauma Survivors, to support your work with trauma victims. http://ptsd.factsforhealth.org/treatment/exposure.asp Mosby's Medical, Nursing and Allied Health Dictionary, 2002
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition, similar to an anxiety disorder, that is triggered by trauma and other extremely stressful circumstances. Throughout the book, Junger talks about PTSD in a wide range:from PTSD rates in natural disaster victims to PTSD rates in veterans. The latter is explained on a deeper perspective. While Junger gave many examples of why PTSD rates in America were so high, the most captivating was:
Psychguide (2016). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Symptoms, Causes and Effects. Retrieved August 20, 2016, from http://psychguides.com
What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, WebMD.com, describes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the known symptoms of it. He explains this first telling the reader what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder actually is and examples of it, then gives percentages of people that have it, then breaks down the different types and levels of it, and finally shows research that explains all of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Authors purpose is to explain what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is in order to have the readers understand how serious Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that develops after exposure to an event that is perceived to be life threatening or pose serious bodily injury to self or others (Sherin & Nemeroff, 2011). According
http://search.proquest.com/>. National Center for PTSD - What is PTSD? United States Department of Veteran Affairs. N.p., 1 Jan. 2007.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a traumatic event (Riley). A more in depth definition of the disorder is given by Doctor’s Nancy Piotrowski and Lillian Range, “A maladaptive condition resulting from exposure to events beyond the realm of normal human experience and characterized by persistent difficulties involving emotional numbing, intense fear, helplessness, horror, re-experiencing of trauma, avoidance, and arousal.” People who suffer from this disease have been a part of or seen an upsetting event that haunts them after the event, and sometimes the rest of their lives. There are nicknames for this disorder such as “shell shock”, “combat neurosis”, and “battle fatigue” (Piotrowski and Range). “Battle fatigue” and “combat neurosis” refer to soldiers who have been overseas and seen disturbing scenes that cause them anxiety they will continue to have when they remember their time spent in war. It is common for a lot of soldiers to be diagnosed with PTSD when returning from battle. Throughout the history of wars American soldiers have been involved in, each war had a different nickname for what is now PTSD (Pitman et al. 769). At first, PTSD was recognized and diagnosed as a personality disorder until after the Vietnam Veterans brought more attention to the disorder, and in 1980 it became a recognized anxiety disorder (Piotrowski and Range). There is not one lone cause of PTSD, and symptoms can vary from hallucinations to detachment of friends and family, making a diagnosis more difficult than normal. To treat and in hopes to prevent those who have this disorder, the doctor may suggest different types of therapy and also prescribe medication to help subside the sympt...
PTSD is defined as mental health disorder triggered by a terrifying event (Mayoclinic). This ordeal could be the result of some sort of physical harm or threat to the individual, family members, friends or even strangers. (NIMH) While PTSD is typically associated with someone who has served in the military, it can affect more than just that genre of individuals. It could affect rape victims, victims in a terrorist or natural disaster incident, nurses, doctors, and police and fire personnel and bystanders. PTSD can manifest itself in many forms. The primary signs and symptoms of PTSD include but are not limited to re-experiencing symptoms (flashbacks, bad dreams, frightening thoughts), avoidance of places, situations, or events that may cause those memories to resurface, and hyperarousal symptoms (easily startled, feeling tense or on edge) (NIMH). Other symptoms may include not having positive or loving feelings toward other people, staying away from relationships, may forget about parts of the traumatic event or not be able to talk about them, may think the world is completely dangerous, and no one can be trusted.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs when a person is involved in a stressful event that triggers persistent intense emotions for some time afterward (Post- traumatic stress disorder). This disaster can be triggered
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD for short, is defined as a mental health disorder triggered by seeing or experiencing a terrifying event.
Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one wink because every time you close your eyes you are forced to relive memories from the past that you are trying to bury deep. This is what happens to the unfortunate men and women who are struggling with PTSD. Veterans that are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder deserve the help they need.
There are many different causes of PTSD such as sexual abuse, sudden death of a loved one, and war. Trauma affects people in different ways, some can develop it from watching a fellow soldier being killed, and some can develop it from losing their jobs or a divorce. Being diagnosed with PTSD is a difficult process because there are many other psychological disorders whose symptoms can overlap and are very similar. An important fact to remember is that PTSD doesn’t just affect the person suffering; it can also have secondhand effects on their spouses, children, parents, friends, co-workers, and other loved ones. Although there is no direct cure, there are many treatment and alternative treatment options to assist them in moving forward after a trauma.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a real mental illness that needs to be taken more seriously. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is a mental illness that can develop with people who have experienced a traumatic event in their lives. There are some people that believe PTSD is not a real illness, and that it is an excuse for someone’s behavior. That idea is incorrect. PTSD can severely affect the way a person lives in a real way. It is not a disability that is new to society however it has been recently acknowledged. The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology states, “Post-traumatic stress disorder has been classified as an anxiety disorder in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders since 1980.” (505).
PTSD, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder, is an anxiety disorder. It affects people that have experienced, witnessed, or were confronted with a life threatening event. It can cause flashbacks, depression, nightmares, and change of mood. Other common symptoms of PTSD are difficulty sleeping, anger outbursts, decreased interest in activities, avoidance of people and places that can trigger a memory, and inability to recall part of the trauma. Symptoms can occur right after the incident but also much later in life. Other common occurrences with PTSD are depression, suicide, and alcohol or drug abuse (FAQs about PTSD).
Treatments for PTSD cannot erase your memory of those events,” (Tull) and, “That said, it is important to remember that symptoms of PTSD can come back again” (Tull). Even though it cannot be cured, it can be treated effectively with treatment. According to mayoclinc.org, “The primary treatment is psychotherapy, but often includes medication” (None). With the help of psychotherapy and medication, people who suffer from PTSD can begin to regain their life from anxiety and
To combat these and other issues that can arise due to a lack of training, the development of a training program will wan...