Life Of A Soldier: The Fatal Carnage Of War

PTSD has had a major impact on veterans and their families who have fought in war. Studies show that over the past 13 years, about 500,000 US soldiers have been diagnosed with the disorder (Thomas). This does not only cause problems for the veteran with PTSD, but the families are affected in many ways also. This disorder has done as much as destroyed relationships and families.

Individuals everywhere grimace at war. Images of the strike of the gun, the burst of the bombs, and the clash of the soldiers all elicit a wince and a shiver. Moviegoers close their eyes during gory battle scenes and open them again only once the whine of the bullets stops rattling in their ears. War is hell, as the common aphorism goes, and the pain of war is equally hellish. Most individuals naturally accept this conclusion despite never experiencing war themselves. Without enduring the actual pain of war injuries, individuals still argue the importance war and its miseries. Individuals rely on media and entertainment for education about the suffering and evils of war. Writers provide an acute sense of a soldier’s physical and mental

Soldiers wounded during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan often develop post-traumatic stress disorder and depression months after getting out of a hospital, instead of soon after suffering their injuries, a new study found. The earlier the syndrome is identified and treated, the better (Bernstein). Premature treatment is better because symptoms of PTSD may get worse. Dealing with them earlier aids in stopping the symptoms from worsening in the future. If the disorder progresses, an individual may fail to benefit from formal treatment or drop out of treatment early. Many soldiers tend to find it much simpler to self medicate with drugs or alcohol rather than using appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, use of alcohol and drugs can actually intensify symptoms of PTSD or depression over time. Increased substance use is also a potential risk factor for suicide. (Finnegan)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans has been prevalent in the United States ever since the diagnosis of shell shock after World War I. PTSD continues to be prevalent in veterans from the Vietnam War, to the Gulf War, to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD among veterans during the Vietnam era was 30.9% for men and 26.9% for women (U.S. Department of Government Affairs, 2015). Based on a population study the prevalence of PTSD among previously deployed Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom was 13.8% (U.S. Department of Government Affairs, 2015). PTSD in combat veterans can be very difficult to understand. This is widely due to the lack of research

Even soldiers of war has spoken out about their symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how the media id the truth from them about the effects of war. They describe how if they knew what they know about a soldier's life that they would've thought twice about joining the armed forces. They also described how hard it is to live with PTSD after a war. The everyday things that use to be so simple are now difficult. How memories can pop into their heads at any given minute and bring them back to that time. That time that many soldiers try their hardest to forget. Statistics show that out of a hundred soldiers, forty of them suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Legarreta, 1).

Approximately 30% of men and 27% of women had PTSD at some point in their life following Vietnam.” In examining the mental health condition of Persian Gulf War veterans have found, “… rates of PTSD stemming from the war range anywhere from almost 9% to approximately 24%. “In Iraq Afghan War “After deployment, approximately 12.5% had PTSD, a rate greater than that found among these soldiers before deployment”.

Many of the veterans experience a multitude of issues linked to PTSD. Some of these can include depression, employment, increase demands on healthcare services, and social impairment. Physical health issues associated with PTSD can include respiratory, hypertension, skin, hearing and deafness, stomach, urinary and even musculoskeletal complications (Benyamini and Solomon, 2005:1271; Boscarino, 2006:253-254; Hoge, et al., 2006:1023; O’Toole and Catts, 2008:34). A number of soldiers in these studies reported an increase in substance abuse. This misuse of substances is either through alcohol, cigarettes, prescription medications, or other drugs (Benyamini and Solomon, 2005:1268; Browne et al., 2008:628; Hanwella, et al., 2014:4-6; Smith, et

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is "an anxiety disorder, characterized by distressing memories, emotional numbness, and hyper vigilance, that develops after exposure to a traumatic event" (Doyle-Portillo, Pastorino 490). Traumatic events include physical abuse, rape, military combat, death of a close friend or family member, natural disasters, or witnessing events such as terrorist attacks, a violent crime, or a horrible accident (Doyle-Portillo, Pastorino 490). All these different events lead men and women to have nightmares, flashbacks, and tormenting memories, especially the men who fought in the Vietnam War. Around "19% of Vietnam veterans developed PTSD at some point after the war" (Doyle-Portillo, Pastorino 491) from the events they witnessed out in the Vietnamese jungles during combat that it would have been highly unlikely for them not to develop PTSD.

The direct psychological impact of war can be seen especially in veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Around 20 percent of veterans come home with Post traumatic stress disorder, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and substance abuse disorder which is usually co morbid with the illness. Many veterans, while they are in the

The Army suicide rate exceeded the civilian rate in 2008 with 20.2 army service men and women versus 19.2 civilians per 100,000 per year is the amount. More active duty personnel die by their own hand than in any combat in 2012(Veterans Statistics 2). Many veterans have been known to have aggressive outbursts, because this is a natural way to release stress. This is just a glimpse of how a PTSD patient's life is greatly impacted.PTSD can change anyone’s life very easily. PTSD (like all other mental disorders)affect many areas of a person's life; this negative change has shown that people are likely to develop other mental disorders. Common problems that people with PTSD experience are; feelings of hopelessness, shame or despair, depression/anxiety,

In 2004 Operation Iraqi Freedom became the deadliest American military conflict since the Vietnam War. Military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and Vietnam have brought heightened awareness of military related PTSD, as well as the relationship and family problems that accompany the disorder. Studies have shown that 11% - 20% of Veterans that served in Iraq and 6% - 11% of veterans that were deployed to Afghanistan have suffered from PTSD. Veterans of operation Desert Storm suffer at a rate of about 10% and Vietnam veteran estimates have been as high as 30% – 50%.

Currently, about eight percent of the world’s population will develop some form of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. These numbers maximize when focusing on the military alone. During the Vietnam War, about fifteen percent of veterans were diagnosed with PTSD. This number doubled as the veterans went on with their life continued after the war to thirty percent. Our two most recent wars, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, lead in the numbers with up to twenty percent of the veterans suffering from PTSD. It is very difficult to account for every military related suicide since the department of defense no longer keeps track of the military personnel who are retired or who are no longer in service. A study relating

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder also known as PTSD. PTSD affects 31% of Vietnam veterans, 11% of afghanistan veterans, 10% of the Gulf veterans, and 20% of Iraq veterans. Most PTSD sufferers have triggers that cause them to repeatedly relive the traumatizing events that happened in war. Things like being shot, witnessing a friend's death, or just seeing death up close can all cause PTSD.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is now believed to be a common condition for many active military and veterans who have experienced direct combat. PTSD symptoms can last a lifetime, and are particularly troubling for those veterans from the Vietnam War who have struggled for years to get help (Daniels, Boehnlein, & McCallion, 2015). Bergman, Przeworski &Feeny (2017) note that active military personnel and veterans constitute about half of the overall population, but have a disproportionate number of mental health problems including instances of PTSD. The authors also observe that “ many military veterans and service members may experience symptoms of psychological disorders as well as impairment related to these symptoms, but may

In World War 2 over 65 million people lost their lives. The emotional toll on the families of the lost soldiers soon followed. Throughout World War 2 we gained many allies, but because of all the destruction that the was caused, for example, peoples homes and all their precious materials being stolen or destroyed, we lost a vast majority of those them. The taking of so many lives and destroying of countries can cause a lot of hate on the nations that inflicted this destruction. This can cause young kids to grow up hating other nations and that is when conflict can start. The lives that are lost during wartime are undeniably one of the biggest causes of death. One thing that every country has in common is the death toll that they face in war. Conflict arises no matter what the cause. The way to grow as a world is to control these conflicts with verbal communication instead of using war as an option.