A Brief Note On The Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis that was associated with survivors of war when it was first introduced. Its diagnosis was met largely with skepticism and dismissal by the public of the validity of the illness. PTSD was only widely accepted when it was included as a diagnosis in 1980 in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) of the American Psychiatric Association. PTSD is a complex mental disorder that develops in response to exposure to a severe traumatic event that stems a cluster of symptoms. Being afflicted with the disorder is debilitating, disrupting an individual’s ability to function and perform the most basic tasks.

With the recent release of the popular movie and book American Sniper, much attention has been drawn to the effects of the disease of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on its victims. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a mental illness from going through a traumatic experience, is more prevalent in veterans and men currently serving in the military, and it is important that effective treatment be sought.

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Today, hundreds of thousands of service men and women and recent military veterans have seen combat. Many have been shot at, seen their buddies killed, or witnessed death up close. These are types of events that can lead to Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder ("Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD: A Growing Epidemic. “) Anyone that has gone through a traumatic event can be diagnosed with PTSD but research shows, military men and women are more susceptible to having PTSD (PTSD: A Growing Epidemic.) And, with little help from the US, many Veterans do not get the help they need or get treated for PTSD. Military men and women begin to

The aftermath of war not only has long term effects on the men and women who served or currently serve in the military, but their families and social institutions as well. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a very serious illness, and if left undiagnosed and untreated can result in serious life-threatening effects to include death.

When someone hears about Post Traumatic Stress disorder, they assume it only affects those in active duty or military veterans. However, it can affects those who have seen natural disasters, severe child abuse and horrible events. The national comorbidity survey replications did a survey on how many people in the US have PTSD they say, “(NCS-R), conducted between February 2001 and April 2003, comprised interviews of a nationally representative sample of 9,282 Americans aged 18 years and older. PTSD was assessed among 5,692 participants, using DSM-IV criteria. The NCS-R estimated the lifetime prevalence of PTSD among adult Americans to be 6.8% (1). Current past year PTSD prevalence was estimated at 3.5% (2).The lifetime prevalence of PTSD among men was 3.6% and among women was 9.7%.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder affects 40 million adults age 18 and over, and has many different symptoms; these include, but are not limited to: nightmares, flashbacks, irritability, depression, emotional instability, insomnia, and poor concentration. Stress disorders occur when someone experiences stress outside the realm of normal experience for adults and children, furthermore, causes of PTSD stem from experiences or the witnessing of a life changing event such as; military combat, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, serious accidents, physical and/or sexual abuse. Many folks suffer through the disorder, often unaware that such events would leave them with a possible debilitating disorder if left untreated, thus by being aware of the causes

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, this develops after a person has suffered a traumatic incident. Incidences can be caused by any type of event, triggering PTSD by personally experience a trauma (near death experience), being a witness to a trauma (vehicle accident) and those having to deal with the aftermath of a trauma (EMT, Police). These are just a few examples. PTSD can be rated in 3 Phases, 1) Acute Phase: if symptoms last less than 3 months. 2) Chronic Phase: if symptoms last more than 3 months. 3) Delayed-Onset: if the symptoms last 6 months after the trauma. An episodic attack (flashback) can last a couple of seconds, to as long as 30 minutes. This is caused when a person feels threatened and feeling helpless in a place of unknown environment.

Who can be affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? Anyone including children. Soldiers are affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Soldiers are more affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to The United States Department of Veterans Affairs 11% of soldiers have been affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. About 20% of all adults have suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at some point in their life's. About 15% girls and 6% boys

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is where a person has residual mental and physical effects from witnessing an extremely traumatic experience. Some examples of this are getting into a massive car crash, being sexually assaulted or being in a combat zone and

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition caused by experiencing or seeing a terrifying event. It has been known to affect mostly war veterans but has also affected people who are not veterans. Rape victims and people who have suffered severe abuse have also been diagnosed with PTSD. In most cases, veterans have a higher percentage than others.

In the last twenty years post-traumatic stress disorder has increased dramatically. Even though In the last twenty years the GI bill has been lifted causing many people to be in the military for different reasons, post-traumatic stress disorder has gone up since 2007 because military personnel has been sent into combat zones. Basic training has been changed slightly to a more group oriented type of training that involves group and friendships. A lack of diagnoses is also another huge factor of the growing numbers of post-traumatic stress disorder. Many military personnel are being deployed more than once. Many active duty military personnel are being deployed for three or four tours.

For many war veterans Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or what is better known as PTSD is common. Finding a treatment that is right for someone with this condition can be challenging but not impossible. Despite the circumstances people who suffer from PTSD should be able to receive the care that is most effective for them to overcome their condition.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a widespread disorder that affects certain individuals psychologically, behaviorally, and emotionally following the experience of a traumatic event (Lee et al., 2005, p. 135). However, because of inconsistencies regarding the percentage of individuals who experience PTSD and the percentage of individuals who subsequently develop PTSD, researchers hypothesize that both biological and environmental factors contribute to the development of PTSD (Wolf et al. 2010, p. 328). In order gain a better understanding of this disorder and to discover contributing and predicative factors which contribute to the development of PTSD, this paper analyses the historical context and prevalence of PTSD, the

A wide variety of symptoms may be signs that you are experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder. The following are some of the most common symptoms of PTSD that you or those around you may have noticed: