Wounds, fire, tanks, sweat, letters, distance, cold, training, effort; all these terms are the cause of all psychological aftermath in veterans. Most of the veterans who make it back home alive, come back with their psychological health dead, as well as some make it back alive with their psychological health better than ever. The amount of psychological damages for veterans are sometimes more the expected than the real, and sometimes financial benefits play a big role in finding out which exact soldiers really suffer from these post war effects. Posttraumatic Growth and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder a study made in University of North Carolina demonstrated that the most common postwar psychological effect in veterans is called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and that its antonym is called Posttraumatic Growth (PTG). PTSD is a negative effect to trauma and PTG is a positive one. This study proved that being at combat does not always come with negative aftermath, but sometimes even with positive ones. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder includes intense fear, nightmares, and terror about a certain distressing event seen or felt at war. Posttraumatic Growth on the other hand, involves positive looks towards life, optimism, closer relationships with family members and closer to religion (if involved) also. The causes behind both of these psychological effects are most of the time the same, being clearly exposed to cruel combat. Seeing other soldiers who trained with you catch on fire, or lose their arms and legs can be the most devastating image a soldier has ever seen, resulting in mental damage such as having PTSD. (Schmidt & Moran & Burker. 34-40). This article states that the lessons learned at combat are taken negatively in th... ... middle of paper ... ...an reality, sometimes there’s more involved than just wanting to be healthy, there’s always money in the way, which can mess up reality counts and military files. Also war doesn’t always have a negative effect in veterans, to something bad there’s always a good side; Posttraumatic Growth. Works Cited Moran, Sena; Schmidt, Judy; Burker, Eileen J. Posttraumatic Growth and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Journal of Rehabilitation April-June 2013. P.34-23. Borgess, Jeffrey. Psychological Effects of Military Service in Vietnam: A Meta Analysis. Central Michigan University. September 1987. American Psychological Association, P. 257-271. Frueh, Christopher, B. Documented Combat Exposure of US veterans try Seeking Treatment for Combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2005.
Being a military veteran can have both positive and negative effects on one’s ability to maintain a job and socialize with other people. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is usually a problem with soldiers coming back from war, although after a veteran recovers from it, it creates great job opportunities. Business leaders recognize how useful a military veteran is in the work force. Veterans tend to show great responsibility, leadership, and team work which make them the ideal employee for many jobs.
Within a recent context, the intangible, and often dismissed damage that war inflicts on a soldier’s mental health, has been reaffirmed and reexamined. The invisible injuries of war, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression, have proven to be as deadly as noticeable damage, such as infections or wounds. This issue of the mental health has been given an increased importance in light of the gruesome influx of suicides and murders committed by unstable returning soldiers. With the potential increase of the United States’ military involvement in the Middle East being a relevant issue, it is incredibly important for all people, from those with direct power to those who have the sole power of their voice, to thoroughly understand the potential long-term repercussions that are involved with war, before committing men and women to fight in this conflict. Most crucially, society must ensure that proper care and services are made easily accessible for returning soldiers, in order to assist with their successful transition back to civilian
[2] Tian, Stan. "The Emotional Effects of War on Soldiers." Health Guidance - Free Health Articles. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. .
Imagine living in despair after coming back home, dismayed from a war that got no appreciation. Robert Kroger once said in his quote, “The brave men and women, who serve their country and as a result, live constantly with the war inside them, exist in a world of chaos. But the turmoil they experience isn’t who they are, the PTSD invades their minds and bodies.” Eleven percent of Vietnam Veterans still suffer with symptoms of the terrifying disorder of PTSD (Handwerk). Vietnam Veterans struggle with the physiological effects of PTSD after war, which leads to despair and many deaths.
Military Pathway (2013) concluded “Military life, especially the stress of deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult”. Hence, it is not surprising that soldiers returning from a stressful war environment often suffer from a psychological condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This paper provides a historical perspective of PTSD affecting soldiers, and how this illness has often been ignored. In addition, the this paper examines the cause and diagnosis of the illness, the changes of functional strengths and limitations, the overall effects this disease may have on soldiers and their families, with a conclusion of possible preventative measures and treatment options. All of these findings are backed by extensive research through media, web, and journal references.
Everyone encounters some type of battle or challenge in their lives. Some have to deal with something like passing a class, some with the stress of not knowing when their next meal will be. Some have to cope with the after-effects of the war. All war veterans have to bear the mental weight of the events that occurred while at war, feelings of fear and guilt, and sometimes the thoughts don’t seem to go away. We see this looking through the psychological lens in the book The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.
What is post-traumatic stress disorder? Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a disorder that is characterized by the repeated experiencing or “reliving” of a traumatic event. With this disorder, the sufferer will also experience extreme emotional, mental, and physical distress. Recurrent nightmares, memories of the event, and vivid flashbacks are very likely too. (Wagman 915). PTSD wasn’t recognized as an illness until the 1980s, but it has been around as long as men have been killing one another (McGirk). Before PTSD was given its official name, many different names floated around within the whole entire world. In 1678, Swiss soldiers identified the disorder as nostalgia while German soldie...
Lamie’s experience depicts a brief glimpse of some of the traumatic events veterans face when serving. Experiences like John Lamie’s causes many veterans to return home with physical injuries and mental injuries such as missing limbs, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Author Lawrence Korb in his book “Serving America’s Veterans: A Reference Handbook” elaborates on specific mental
The reality that shapes individuals as they fight in war can lead to the resentment they have with the world and the tragedies that they had experienced in the past. Veterans are often times overwhelmed with their fears and sensations of their past that commonly disables them to transgress and live beyond the emotions and apprehensions they witness in posttraumatic experiences. This is also seen in everyday lives of people as they too experience traumatic events such as September 11th and the fall of the World Trade Center or simply by regrets of decisions that is made. Ones fears, emotions and disturbances that are embraced through the past are the only result of the unconscious reality of ones future.
Post-Traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric disorder that may develop after one has been a victim or witness of a traumatic event (What is PTSD). Men and women who served in the Vietnam War were vulnerable to many acts of violence and death such as guerilla warfare. After being discharged from the Armed Forces, they may experience flashbacks when a trigger brings back a memory or they may also suffer from nightmares or insomnia due to specific rattling experiences (Riley, Julie). Not being able to sleep can have some deteriorating effects on the body which can make life after war very hard to adjust to. The transfer of the Armed Forces back home life can be somewhat of a culture shock. However, anyone can develop PTSD. A person who has been a victim of abuse, an unexpected death/accident, or even a survivor of a natural disaster is at risk of being diagnosed with this disorder (Mental Health America). They may experience some symptoms of; depression, irritability, insomnia, flashbacks, they may complain of headaches or stomach pain, and may become reserved (Riley, Julie). These indicatio...
This year, the United States is set to end over a decade of continuous combat operations in Afghanistan as well as reduce the size of the military in an effort to restrain the growing deficit of the federal government. While some welcome these actions, they will have a significant effect on the men and women of the armed forces. Since the military is now focused on returning to a peacetime posture and cutting personnel, more veterans will be entering the civilian market. These men and women, who come from all walks of American life, will have had vastly different experiences than their civilian counterparts. These veterans will have spent their formative years in a wartime military and while they have so much to offer society, often, their service and they as individuals are stereotyped with unflattering characteristics by civilian managers, which has a negative impact during their post-military search for employment. Some civilians see them as uneducated and suffering from a host of mental problems related to their service. This problem is not only relevant for recent veterans but for all of those who have volunteered to serve in the military. Veteran unemployment is a serious problem for the United States. Those who choose to serve in the military should not be negatively impacted in the civilian marketplace as a result of their sacrifice.
Veterans have manifested significant mental or behavioral health issues and in turn, health care services have been set to respond to their needs through educating community health care providers to work with veterans, service members and their families. As Zeiss & Karlin (2008) demonstrates, health care system has partnered with national organizations, health services, resources administration and other major mental projects that target the veterans to ensure effective services to mental health concerns. There are many inter-professional roles geared towards veterans due to their wide-range of mental issues including physicians, psychologists, social workers, substance abuse professionals, licensed counselors, public health workers, therapists related to marriage and family issues, nurses, chaplains, law enforcement and occupational therapists. In the course of this discussion, the way veterans mental issues has been addressed will be constricted to nursing setting to describe the scope, severity, behavioral health issues and responses among veterans.
The lasting wartime effects on soldiers can potentially result in psychological issues. The Vietnam war serves as an example as to how conflicts can alter their mental state. Even though the soldiers fought with fidelity,
When reflecting on the preamble from the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, having spent the past three years working with the veteran community, I have gained an understanding how much their needs are just as important as the rest of society. There are times where people joined the military to improve themselves, or to escape from an environment that has not had much to offer. Once this person joins the military service, there are times where this is the first time in their life where they have had the first sense of family, or a sense of belonging. For those who complete their enlistment and go back home, there is that adjustment period. Some are dealing with the emotional scars of having been in combat, and
Anything can get to them and when they are deployed back they are sometimes only a few days to a week removed from that battle felid and they get no time to let off steam or get some type of metal help. They are just put back in the society, normal life with their family. This messes with there mind a lot. (Dean 7) Many of these veterans had this American hero image in their mind which is understandable, but when they got back they had anything but that. This really messed up their minds because they had a bar set and is was not met by any means. (Dean 8) The negativity surrounding the veterans just shut them down completely from anything, family included because they had put it all out there for the mother land and they got little respect. They saw many friends die and didn’t get to see their family’s for long periods of time. (Dean 22,23) PTSD is known to just eat away at the mind like a parcite, not letting the person do anything at all. They can not have a normal life with a family. (Wilson 9) Just the way the mind thinks when diagnosed with PTSD is backwards and not with much sense sometimes. Compulsive reexposure is something not really talked about because the front is that everything is okay because the attempt to a normal life is shown. The way that works is the mind works in reverse like a veteran coming back feels the need to be in the swat or a woman got abused as