My Definition Of PTSD

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.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder also known as PTSD is an emotional condition that can develop following a traumatic or terrifying event. PTSD has only been recognized as a diagnosis since 1980. This emotional disorder was brought to public attention after soldiers would return home and often referred to as “shell shock or combat fatigue”.

Letters from loved ones could take months to arrive. Many card games, puzzles, and the occasional sports game helped pass the hours. To keep morale from sinking there needed to be readily available entertainment to provide some relief from war. The Armed Services Editions–portable, accessible, and pocketable paperbacks designed for soldiers to be able access whenever they needed—were everywhere: soldiers were reading them in the lunch line or while waiting for a haircut, even when pinned down in a foxhole. They were the most dependable distraction on all fronts. Books were a source of an escape or even hope. They were so cherished that every soldier abided to a strict policy of swapping and exchanging books, to throw one in the garbage was inhumane. In all the Government supplied over 120 million free books to ensure that America’s fighting men were ready for battle(manning).

The psychological effects, the mentality of fighting and killing another human, and the sheer decimation of human values is what makes war atrocious. War is not only fought on the battlefield though. This book also describes the feelings of a soldier fighting his own demons that war has brought on. The battle that the soldier has with himself, is almost if not more damaging than the physical battle of war. He will never forget his experience with battle, no matter how hard he tries the memories of artillery, blood, and death cannot be erased. “I prayed like you to survive, but look at me now. It is over for us who are dead, but you must struggle, and will carry the memories all your life. People back home will wonder why you can't forget.” (Sledge). This struggle still happens to soldiers today. Sledge’s words of the struggles still captures the effects of warfare that lingers today. The other effects that war has on the men is the instability that surrounds them at every hour of the day. They are either engaged in battle having bullets and artillery fired at them, or waiting for battle just so they can be deposited back in the pressure cooker of survival. “Lying in a foxhole sweating out an enemy artillery or mortar barrage or waiting to dash across open ground under machine-gun or artillery fire defied any concept of time.”

PTSD, or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of a life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or physical or sexual assault in adult or childhood. Most survivors of trauma return to normal given a little time. However, some people will have stress reactions that do not go away on their own, or may even get worse over time. These individuals may develop PTSD. People who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged, and these symptoms can be severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the person’s daily life.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, otherwise known as PTSD is a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event, either by experience or witness, it can trigger flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a mental health condition that is generally classified as an anxiety disorder. It is often caused by a traumatic events or emotional trauma in one’s life that leads to terrifying flashbacks, nightmares and extreme anxiety. The main cause of this disorder is the conscious and subconscious fear-memories that have developed. In essence the ‘fight or flight” response that we all have is severely damaged, even when not in a stressful or dangerous situation those suffering from PTSD may feel stressed and in danger.

It all began in 2003 when President Bush declared war on Iraq. He declared that, “Now that conflict has come, the only way to limit its duration is to apply decisive force” (Bush). Unfortunately, the war in Iraq became one of the longest and most controversial wars fought by America. Thanks to the sacrifices of the men and women in uniform, the mission ended in 2011. However, this war still lives in the hearts of those that fought for the lives of others. In Soft Spots: A Marine’s Memoir of Combat and Post-traumatic stress disorder, Author, Sargent Clint Van Winkle is one of those men that fought and is still fighting his own mental battle of the pass war. Despite all the uncertainties of whether the war was worth fighting for or not, Sargent Van Winkle favored the War against Terror, because he enjoyed the life of combat, being a Marine and the brotherhood that came along with survival.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, overwhelming the individual's ability to cope. As an effect of psychological trauma, PTSD is less frequent and more enduring than the more commonly seen acute stress response. Diagnostic

Post- traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is a disorder which is characterized by anxiety, dissociative, and other symptoms that last for more than one month and that occur as a result of exposure to extreme trauma. PTSD symptoms can develop in individuals faced with repeated mild or low magnitude stressors, such as employment problems, marital distress (Astin et al., 1995; Scott & Stradling, 1994), parenting separation or relationship problems. This disorder is more common in more traumatic events such as war or a bad car accident. What is a traumatic event exactly? Well, a traumatic event is when a person has experienced, witnessed or was confronted with event(s) that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others. The natural response to these

PTSD is defined as an "anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or happens to you” (United States). In these types of events one can feel that they are not in control of what is going on around them and may feel helpless or in great danger. The Department of Veterans Affairs has listed various life threatening events that can evolve into PTSD. These events include but are not limited to "Combat or Military exposure, child sexual or physical abuse, terrorist attacks, sexual or physical assault, serious accidents, such as a car wreck, natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake” (United States).

It took me to the National Center for PTSD page. The first thing that you see on the page is the header “What is PTSD?”. I learned that Post Traumatic stress disorder can happen after you have been through one or a series of traumatic events or situations. A traumatic event can be described as something really scary or terrifying that you usually go through, hear about, or something that you see. For example it could be something like sexual/physical abuse, or assault. Being in a car accident. Going through combat or even being exposed to combat. During any of these events, or many more, you usually feel as if you and/or other peoples lives are in harms way. You feel overwhelmed and have no control over anything that is happening. (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs) This website states that “ Most people have some stress-related reactions after a traumatic event; but, not everyone gets PTSD. If your reactions don 't go away over time and they disrupt your life, you may have PTSD.” (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs) Secondly, the website goes over the topic of how PTSD develops and the symptoms of PTSD. The way that PTSD develops depends on a lot of different things. The website says that these things are : How intense the trauma was or how long it lasted. If you were injured or lost someone important to you. How close you were to the event. How strong your reaction was. How much you felt in control of events, and lasty how much help and support you got

As for this book investigation, the novel for this assignment is called, When Books Went to War, by Molly Guptill Manning. The purpose of this novel is to demonstrate how books helped soldiers in World War II. Throughout this book, it explains how American troops read textbooks to help escape the world around them. Soldiers turn to books to release the tension they have from the war. Most of the time veterans feel lonely or depressed and by reading novels, it helps them to manage their emotions. This novel is written because it indicates how powerful books are towards people. These books have the power to “... soothed troubled minds and hearts...” (Manning 110). As the author claims, books helped win World War II.

O’Brien was a Vietnam War soldier that experienced the horrors of war first-hand, reliving the moments of the battlefield in the war as well as at home. The “things they carried” were not just their war equipment, but also the emotional and psychological baggage that they had. This emotional baggage weighs in on their conscience and disturbs the peace in their dreams. O’Brien states that “a true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models for proper human behavior”(O’Brien 65). Throughout the book O’Brien puts an effort into exposing the reality of what a “true war story” sounds like. He remarks that any story that makes “you feel uplifted” is a complete falsehood and claims that “you have been made the victim of very old and terrible lie”(O’Brien 65).

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that can occur after a traumatic event, such as a threat to life, serious injury, or sexual violence. Some people who experience these types of events may develop PTSD. Sometimes, PTSD can occur in people who hear about trauma that occurs to a close family member or friend. PTSD can happen to anyone at any age.