Management Over Change : The Pitfalls Of An Overmedicated American Culture Essay

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

In today 's society, it has become prevalent that the amount of individuals suffering from mental illnesses is rapidly increasing. This paper will focus on one of the disorders associated with mental illness – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The introduction will define and describe the disorder, and the following paragraphs will discuss causes, symptoms, target populations, treatments, and theory. PTSD affects people of all ages in all walks of life. It has a debilitating effect on its victims, and studies are still being conducted to further explore its impact.

Future Research: Effective treatments for PTSD and depression exist, yet there are disparities in how these treatments are being geographically/regionally dispersed. Above, we highlighted key challenges: veterans’ perceptions of the negative consequences of seeking care; inadequate availability of mental health professionals; diverse and often competing mental health specialties and training approaches that inadequately prepare many practitioners to deliver evidence-based treatments for combat-related disorders or to understand military experience (Burnam et. al, 2009); and limited dissemination and implementation of QI strategies in mental health care settings . Overcoming these obstacles will require federal, state, and local leadership.

Memories of war are like poison in the minds of the broken soldiers calling for help, only to find out that their voices have become a distant echo. Their words lost in the society of the land they've slaved to protect, robbed of the aid, and crippled by their illness. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), became a documented mental disorder in 1980, when the American Psychiatric Association (APA) added PTSD to the third edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. For about 30+ years, since the Vietnam war began, veterans have experienced the pain of this ailment. Human beings experience PTSD in varying degree, but often we associate it with war. Since the recognition of PTSD as an illness, the government has failed

Two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), paroxetine and sertraline, have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of PTSD. However, the results of the effectiveness of pharmacology in double-blind, placebo controlled studies were not greater than PE and CPT or they were insignificant (Peterson et al., 2011).

Soldiers going into their 2nd tour/war enter into it with a at least 5% of them being depressed; leading symptoms in PTSD. With P.T.S.D coming up that is becoming very bad but it can be helping people at the same depending on what treatment that they take. P.T.S.D in veterans is very serious but it can also be cured by the multiple resources. The topic of P.T.S.D possesses a multitude of causes, which negatively impact the victim, his or her family and the society in which the victim lives; nevertheless, many treatments or solutions are provided for the victim to lessen that impact on the future of his or her life.

About two years ago I moved from Italy to Bethesda, Maryland, with my husband. Since my husband was a patient at “Walter Reed National Military Medical Center”, I have been able to walk around the hospital and talking to patients and their relatives. I was astonished when I found out that a lot of patients were suffering from PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder). I didn’t know a lot about this disorder, so I did some researches and I discovered that, according to Veterans statistics: PTSD, Depression, TBI, Suicide “at least 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD and/or depression. Vietnam veterans also report high lifetime rates of PTSD ranging from 10% to 31%.” But the most alarming data is that “50% of those with PTSD do not seek treatment, while the half that seek treatment, only half of them get minimally adequate”(Veteran Statistic). Therefore, PTSD is a common disorder in USA, especially among veterans, so I believe that it should be more publicized in the public information, and I think that the Government should provide more help for people who are affected by this disorder. In “the Red Convertible” written by Louise Erdrich, we can find a good example of PTSD and the effect it has on Veterans and their families.

Evidence points to CPT’s efficacy as a psychological treatment for PTSD and has demonstrated potential to decrease symptoms of depression and guilt. Although more research is needed to determine the effectiveness of CPT with various populations, both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs are recommending CPT as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD. A major benefit of CPT the gains are noticeable in a very short period. The rapid response to treatment is particularly important to military and active-duty populations for whom time may be limited (Keane TM, Marshall AD, Taft

Post-traumatic stress disorder is considered as a psychiatric disorder that creates impairments in occupational, interpersonal, and social functioning. Although there are several treatment processes for veterans suffering from this condition, some intervention may fail to generate desired results. Veterans who fail to show appropriate recovery should be supported with an alternative treatment plan (Aurora et al., 2010). Veterans develop the condition because of exposure to traumatizing

Over twenty veterans commit suicide every single day in the United States (Freking). Twenty lives taken off the face of this earth due to mental or physical hardships these veterans face each and every day. One of the largest contributors to this huge amount of unnecessary deaths is the silent killer that is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a mental disorder that develops when someone experiences traumatic events or other moments in which their life is in jeopardy. The effects of PTSD can leave one feeling alone, anxious, hopeless, and turn them into a lesser version of themselves. Roughly fifteen percent of veterans return from deployments in which they experienced combat with PTSD, thus amassing to over 400,000 soldiers from the campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq alone (How Common Is PTSD?). Even though PTSD effects so many veterans there is not a lot of public knowledge or support for the fight to combat it. Due to the devastating effects that post-traumatic stress disorder has on our veteran population both the government and the public should provide the funding, support, and recognition that is needed to combat the disease.

(1) “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder than can develop after a person witnesses a traumatic event. A traumatic event can take many forms; a natural disaster, sexual abuse or a terrorist attack such as 9/11, but for veterans, PTSD is most often related to combat or military exposure. In wars prior to Vietnam, the disorder was referred to as “shell shock” or “battle fatigue” and was not very well understood beyond the fact that it limited the soldier’s performance on the battlefield. Today, the disorder is more widely studied. We know that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can lead to other mental health problems such as depression, social withdrawal, and substance abuse.” This disorder is such a heavy price to pay for our soldiers. Many come home and can not function in normal society and never really get the help they need to cope with their problems. Many more soldiers suffer in silence and never even tell anyone that they may have these issues because so many of them feel they are ‘macho’ and can handle it alone, but the truth is that they simply can

Evidence Based Treatments are national priority of the public of the public. As it relates to PTSD an approach known as Critical Incident Stress debriefing find was used to treat traumatic events in someone life. (Parrish, 2011) For example, a group would come together as compared to the First Responders groups. (Parrish, 2011) Overtime research has proven that the Critical Incident Debriefing or First Responders cause more people to develop PTSD. (Parrish, 2011) Therefore, practicing just wisdom is not efficient enough when treating. (Parrish, 2011) The treatment only becomes more efficient when adding research that has been review to make sure it works. (Parrish, 2011)

The mental health conditions that affect many veterans are concerning. In particular, veterans may face post-traumatic stress disorder or depression as a result of their combat experiences. Though awareness of mental illness is increasing, there is still a stigma surrounding these disorders and those suffering may be hesitant or feel too much shame to reach out for help. In these cases, the disorder may be left untreated, which may

According to Gulliver and Steffen (2010) individuals involved in treatment for symptoms of PTSD are more likely to meet criteria for a SUD compared to the average person; the same goes for individuals seeking treatment for a SUD in relation to a potential PTSD diagnosis. It is important to address the needs of this population (co-occurring PTSD and SUD) and develop effect treatment methods because they often experience more severe symptoms, have lower functioning in daily activities of living, have poorer sense of wellbeing, poorer physical health, higher rates of chronic physical pain diagnoses, and worse treatment outcomes (Schafer & Najavits, 2007; Gulliver & Steffen, 2010). The development of successful and effective treatment for co-occurring PTSD and SUDs has the potential to significantly impact the public health system by reducing costs associated with untreated or misguided treatment of these two disorders (Gulliver & Steffen, 2010).

One major concern that our society currently has is how to help veterans with mental disorders. According to research, about 30,000 people killed themselves and nearly 650,000 other people were seen in the emergency room after a suicide attempt after serving in the Vietnam war (Wineke, 2007). During this time the government had concerns about readjustment difficulties for veterans as they were returning home from war. Eventually, the nation expressed their concern about the mental health of returning veterans, and in 1970, the congress conducted the first hearing to address these issues (Rosenheck and Fontana, 1999). Service members reported having several psychological problems, including anxiety, depression, nightmares, and insomnia following a return from a combat zone. The Vietnam era was the turning point in assessment and treatment of combat-related psychological distress (Tanielian, 2008). Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, was officially defined as a mental disorder in 1979, in recognition of the potentially disabling mental health challenges confronting veterans returning from the war: “The most lasting contribution of Vietnam to the history of battle trauma is the legacy of post-traumatic stress disorder” (Helmus and Glenn, 2005). The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) estimated that, in 1998, 15 percent (472,000) of those who had served in Vietnam met the criteria for active PTSD (Rosenheck and Fontana, 1999). A study of over 100,000