Military PTSD: Reasons and Methods Used to Help Troops Cope For the past decade, the United States of America has been a participant in an ongoing war, sending military troops for combat in many areas throughout the globe. Due to the ongoing events overseas, troops are subject to serve multiple tours, forcing some to return to combat shortly after their arrival back to the United States. After arriving home from their served tours, military troops often find themselves in a constant battle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD), is an anxiety disorder resulting from a life threatening traumatic event. According to the National Center for PTSD (2014), “there are four types of symptoms for PTSD: reliving the event (also called re-experiencing symptoms), avoiding situations that remind you of the event, negative changes in beliefs and feelings, and feeling keyed up (also called hyperarousal)” (What is PTSD, 2014). Symptoms also include nightmares, trouble sleeping, suicidal thoughts, irritability, trouble concentrating, depression, flashbacks, etc. The purpose of this study is to identify the reason troops suffer from PTSD and the methods the military, VA (Veterans Affairs), and community-based treatment facilities are using to diminish the effects of PTSD. My main findings were that traumatic exposure during combat and sexual assault are reasons troops suffer from PTSD. I also found that Psychopharmacology and Psychotherapy are methods used to diminish the effects of PTSD. Reasons Troops Suffer From PTSD Based on my studies, the reasons why military troops suffer from PTSD are: traumatic exposure during combat and sexual assault. According to military.com (2014), “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder... ... middle of paper ... ..., Tekin, E. (2013). The Psychological Costs of War: Military Combat and Mental Health, Journal of Health Economics, 32, 51-65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2012.09.001. Military.com. (2013). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.military.com/ benefits/veterans-health-care/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-overview.html National Center for PTSD. (2014) What is PTSD?. Retrieved from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/what-is-ptsd.asp Sharpless, B. A., & Barber, J. P. (2011). A clinician's guide to PTSD treatments for returning veterans. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42(1), 8-15. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0022351 Williams, I., & Bernstein, K. (2011) Military Sexual Trauma Among U.S. Female Veterans, Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 25 (2), 138-147 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2010.07.003.
There has been a lot of cases of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) in the Marines over the last decade (TruthOut). PTSD is basically a mental health condition triggered by witnessing a horrible event and for people who are diagnosed with it, they struggle with depression, suicide, and having to relive that traumatic moment every day of their life. PTSD cannot be cured, but many people cope with it by going to a Psychiatric doctor and
Boone, Katherine. "The Paradox of PTSD." Wilson Quarterly. 35.4 (2011): 18-22. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
The Vietnam War caused many U.S. soldiers to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, so when is the war over, is it really over? For soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD, the war may not ever be over. Doctors are on the peak of finding treatments for the ones affected by PTSD and how to prevent it from occurring or even helping them to recover from PTSD has major affects on Vietnam soldiers, their family members and today’s society.
“Studies show that PTSD occurs in 1%-14% of the population. It can be diagnosed at any age, and can occ...
The investigators sought out potential subjects through referrals from psychiatric hospitals, counseling centers, and psychotherapists. All potential subjects were screened with a scripted interview and if they met all the inclusion criteria they met with an investigator who administered the Clinical-Administered PTSD Scale(CAPS) to provide an accurate diagnosis. In the end the study ended up with 12 subject, 10 females and 2 males with a mean age of 41.4, that met the criteria for PTSD with treatment resistant symptoms, which were shown with a CAPS score of greater than or equal to 50.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), originally associated with combat, has always been around in some shape or form but it was not until 1980 that it was named Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and became an accredited diagnosis (Rothschild). The fact is PTSD is one of many names for an old problem; that war has always had a severe psychological impact on people in immediate and lasting ways. PTSD has a history that is as long and significant as the world’s war history - thousands of years. Although, the diagnosis has not been around for that long, different names and symptoms of PTSD always have been. Some physical symptoms include increased blood pressure, excessive heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension, nausea, diarrhea, problems with vision, speech, walking disorders, convulsive vomiting, cardiac palpitations, twitching or spasms, weakness and severe muscular cramps. The individual may also suffer from psychological symptoms, such as violent nightmares, flashbacks, melancholy, disturbed sleep or insomnia, loss of appetite, and anxieties when certain things remind them such as the anniversary date of the event (Peterson, 2009).
The article under review is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the DSM-5: Controversy, Change, and Conceptual Considerations by Anushka Pai, Alina M. Suris, and Carol S. North in Behavioral Sciences. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault (U.S. Department VA, 2007). PTSD can happen to anyone and many factors can increase the possibility of developing PTSD that are not under the person’s own control. Symptoms of PTSD usually will start soon after the traumatic event but may not appear for months or years later. There are four types of symptoms of PTSD but may show in different
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is defined by our book, Abnormal Psychology, as “an extreme response to a severe stressor, including increased anxiety, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and symptoms of increased arousal.” In the diagnosis of PTSD, a person must have experienced an serious trauma; including “actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violation.” In the DSM-5, symptoms for PTSD are grouped in four categories. First being intrusively reexperiencing the traumatic event. The person may have recurring memories of the event and may be intensely upset by reminders of the event. Secondly, avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, either internally or externally. Third, signs of mood and cognitive change after the trauma. This includes blaming the self or others for the event and feeling detached from others. The last category is symptoms of increased arousal and reactivity. The person may experience self-destructive behavior and sleep disturbance. The person must have 1 symptom from the first category, 1 from the second, at least 2 from the third, and at least 2 from the fourth. The symptoms began or worsened after the trauma(s) and continued for at least one
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.
Trauma is defined as “a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes someone to have mental or emotional problems usually for a long time” (Merriam-Webster). Many veterans experience trauma from the traumatic events they see in war or from the multiple terms they served in. An example of a traumatic event is depicted in an article titled “Caring for Veterans”.
Our soldiers not only risked life and limb for our country while serving in the Vietnam War, but they continue to suffer immensely. Americans as well as Vietnamese troops and civilians suffered great losses when it comes to casualties. Witnessing first-hand the pain and death of strangers and allies, isn’t something one is likely to forget. Post-Traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been one of the many repercussions of witnessing these gruesome events (Mental Health America). Veterans, their families, and the government have come together in combat in attempts to address the detrimental effects of PTSD.
PTSD is a very common aftermath of war, or even during war. PSTD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is very common in deployed troops of all ages. It occurs after an event that is, basically, life changing. It can be triggered by many horrific accidents such as, road accidents, a deployment, a personal assault etc. When people have this disorder it can leave them feeling depressed, unattached to daily activities, they feel hopeless, and cannot talk about what is going on in their lives. PTSD can lead to suicide or attempted suicide.
Schiraldi, G. R. (2009). The post-traumatic stress disorder sourcebook: A guide to healing, recovery, and growth. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Isabel says, “If Dr. Nelson is right and he’s suffering from delayed shock surely new surroundings and new interests will cure him, and when he’s got his balance again he’ll come back to Chicago and go into business like everybody else” (48-49). Isabel’s statement though lacks understanding of what kinds of treatments are beneficial for treating PTSD. New surroundings and new interests won’t help treat PTSD because people who suffer from PTSD “tend to avoid places, people, or other things that remind them of the event” (Edwards). In order to understand what helps treat PTSD, we must come to understand that PTSD can never be fully cured. According to ptsd.about.com, “Treatments for PTSD will never take away the fact that a traumatic event occurred. 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