Cause And Effects Of Anxiety Disorder (PTSD)

Over the last 6 years I worked with Veterans that have been diagnosed with PTSD. I have seen symptoms of this diagnosis play out in a variety ways. This experience has only fueled my passion to want to become more educated and experienced on the topic so that I can better service to Veterans. I also believe that becoming better educated on the topic will allow me to dispel some of the myths associated with PTSD. As discussed in class, before the accept into the DSM-3 in 1980 service member that experienced symptoms of PTSD were seen as unfit to handle the psychological casualties that came with the War. They were often viewed as weak and were forced back on the battlefield despite showing clear indicators that the fatigue that comes along with battle had begun to affect their daily lives. After the mainstream acceptance of PTSD in 1980 many active duty service members and Veterans still had a hard time proving to the VSA that they were indeed suffering from PTSD. Over time there has been a mainstream acceptance that many Veterans as well as other populations may suffer from PTSD. The mainstream acceptance of PTSD has the ability to offer hope to those that are affected by the

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

Combat veterans are among the highest at risk for issues in transitioning form military life to civilian. Many potentially suffer from both physical and/or mental traumas. Many veterans and even active duty services members have allowed the unofficial culture of if you need mental or medical help you are weak. Many military families are also afraid of utilizing family support mechanisms out of fear of

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

Perhaps attesting to the enhanced understanding of PTSD and alarm at the troubling suicide rates of veterans, the media seems to be raising the public’s attention about the condition, for example, through the use of documentaries. In 2005, during the second push of the Iraqi and Afghanistan war PBS FRONTLINE released a documentary entitled, “The Soldier’s Heart,” This documentary gives an overview of the history of PTSD, but focuses specifically on the psychological toll of the Iraq war. It illuminates the fact that despite advances in our understanding of PTSD, there continues to be a stigma against psychological problems in the

PTSD is increasing with expanding population today while the decreasing levels of mental healthcare services is making the mismatch more problematic for affected individuals and for the society as a

The government is not doing all they can to help returning vets, it is incredibly hard and stressful to get treatment, it is woefully underfunded, it doesn 't have the proper classification so therefore treatment is not as accessible. It seems as if the U.S. Government is struggling to pay attention to PTSD treatment, because it may bring the ailment into the public eye, and the Military might suffer in morale and number of volunteers, due to people not wanting the risk of PTSD. The thing about the military is that, “No one teaches anybody had to deal with that. And it also gets back to the, in the military it 's the John Wayne mentality of you don 't show emotion. You 're not allowed to admit that you 're sad or upset or anything ever. It 's not manly.”(Beer Is Cheaper 51:23)

The video I chose to watch was “The Wounded Platoon”. The population related to this video that faces difficulties in terms of access to health care are United States veterans. This video specifically mentions veterans of the Third Platoon, who were deployed to fight during the Iraq War. One overarching difficulty this population has in terms of access to health care is a lack of wanting to come forward. One soldier stated that those who came forward with symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) feared ridicule. PTSD is very stigmatized, especially in the military, where it is stated that coming forward with symptoms of PTSD could be considered “a sign of weakness”. Many veterans claimed they did not need help and reported no mental duress. However, it was shown that many of these veterans were self-medicating. It was stated that there was an over three thousand percent increase in Fort Carson soldiers failing drug tests after the Iraq War.

Adolescence is a difficult time period in a young person’s transition into their later stage of both physical and mental development. Mood disorders are often overlooked during this time for the brain becoming more developed; however among children, anxiety disorders seem to be the most common disorders to be experienced (Nelson; Israel, pg 112). Barlow (2002) defines anxiety as a future-oriented emotion that is characterized by the inability to be in control and predict future events that can be potentially dangerous to the individual. Anxiety shares commonalities with fear, but the difference between the two being that fear is the initial response made from a present threat, where anxiety is due to a unknown future event. A common

For many, warfare lead to their unfortunate demise. For the survivors, warfare leads to PTSD due to the sickening experiences they were forced to endure. Looking back through human history, we can see the sheer lethalness of warfare, and the intense damage it can do. By reading our popular literature, we are able to envision to traumatic experiences soldiers witnessed, and yet still carried on doing their job. Modern day soldiers and veterans help us understand just how heavily those type of experiences can affect someone. For many, those war experiences will evolve into mental health disorders such as PTSD, and they will carry that around with them for the rest of their lives. Warfare is no friend to man. It picks at everything good in the hearts of soldiers and fills their heads with evil. In war, many will die, many will see things that they would do anything to unsee,

Now we have a new era of proud fighting men and women who are serving our country and waiting for months and years to get their benefits it is time to take action now. Many of us experience what is called (PTSD) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, from some of things we saw or experienced during our time in service. And there again you tell us there is nothing wrong and it is all in our heads, or it is not as bad as you think it is. If that is the case then why are so many of our soldiers committing suicide, because they cannot deal with the things that are going on in their head, the nightmares, the reliving of a traumatic situation that plays out in our head over and over until something snaps.

As we learn more about the cause and effect of PTSD we can better equip ourselves to help those in need. It is a process that has a clear beginning but an unclear ending. A person who can function normally for many years after seeing combat may find it increasingly difficult to sit in a classroom day after day. With raising awareness on not only the severity but the scope of impact of mental health disorders it can eliminate the stigma of weakness and get these men and women who have put themselves second much of their lives the help they

Have you ever heard the terminology "knowledge is power"? Well, this is a prime example of that statement, and our nation needs to be filled with more supporters of our Veterans. They made a choice to put their lives on the line to serve our country, the least the civilians of our nation could do is educate themselves, educate families and children, and teach friends on the subject of supporting all of our Veterans. Statistics state that there were over 2.3 million American veterans that derived out of the Afghanistan and Iraq war. The percent of those Veterans that are suffering from PTSD (and/or depression) is 20%, and out of that 20% there is only half of those Veterans that seek treatment (Veterans and PTSD, 2012-2013, p. 4). With only half of the Veterans that are suffering are seeking a resolution for the diagnosis of combat post-traumatic stress disorder, maybe a rise in awareness and support could help encourage those going untreated to seek help.

Once a soldier finishes his or her term of war and comes home for good doesn't mean they have truly returned from war. A soldier brings back home nothing but the haunting memories of war. This is the factor that continues to make living with PTSD so overwhelming. Veterans may say, "for me, there was no safe place, even my home" (Phillips, 2014). Insecurity is not the only aspect that overwhelms the mind, many other symptoms of the disease are just as horrific. "I couldn't close my eyes without envisioning the face of my attacker. I suffered horrific flashbacks and nightmares, and four years after the attack I was unable to sleep in my house alone" (Phillips, 2014). in cases like this, the effects of PTSD later find its ways to literally dictate the lives of veterans and many other victims.

In the past, veterans who disclosed suffering from signs of PTSD encountered a great deal of ignorance and bias. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (n.d.), veterans who had the illness were often considered weak, were rejected by comrades, and even faced discharge from military service. In fact, even physicians and mental health specialists often questioned the existence of the disease, which of course led to society’s misconception of PTSD in general. Sadly because of this existing prejudice it appears even today soldiers are still worried to admit having PTSD symptoms, and therefore they do not receive the proper support they need. While individuals are assured that their careers will not be affected, and seeking help is encouraged, most soldiers see it as a failure to admit having a mental health illness (Zoroya, 2013). Educating military personal of this illness, and making sure no blame is put on the veterans who encounter this disease is therefore vital.