PTSD Among Veterans

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been studied extensively. The majority of the population has experienced an event that was traumatic enough to potentially cause Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with it also being common for most people to experience more than one event with the potential to induce Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Kilpatrick, Resnick, Milanak, Miller, Keyes, Friedman, 2013). Studies have shown that veterans diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder show an escalation in the anxiety levels that is much greater than soldiers that have not been diagnosed with PTSD as well as higher than the general fit population (Olatunji, Armstrong, Fan, & Zhao, 2014).

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder statistics are exceedingly difficult to gauge among veterans. According to the following source, “it is possible to have undiagnosed PTSD for 30 years and not realize it” (Veterans and PTSD). Symptoms may not be diagnosed anywhere from 1 year after service to a lifetime. Also, it must be taken into account that after retiring many veterans may lose touch and not receive treatment for symptoms or further affiliate with the military. In the 1980s, regarding PTSD in Vietnam veterans, it was found that 15%-30% of veterans reported having PTSD; however, in 2003 a new study found that four out of five reported symptoms.

There have been many diagnoses of PTSD in American soldiers. As Mark Thomas said in a magazine article, “The National Academy of Sciences have report estimated that up to 20% of 2.6 million US men and women who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq may have it (PTSD)”(Thomas). This quote expresses that nearly 520,000 US families have been affected by this disorder. It also shows that PTSD has become a large enough issue that more and more people and

The freedoms Americans enjoy come at a price; brave military men and women often foot the bill. Many men and women pay with their lives; others relive the sights, sounds, and terror of combat in the form of PTSD. Several causes and risk factors contribute to the development of PTSD. Combat-related PTSD appears slightly different than traditional PTSD. History tells of times when soldiers diagnosed with PTSD were viewed as “weak.” Resources have not always been available to struggling soldiers. The adverse symptoms of PTSD on soldiers and their families can be crippling.

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

In the United States (US) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects 8 out of every 100 persons (United States Department of Veterans Affairs [USDVA], 2015). In which account for about 8 million people that include the military veterans (USDVA, 2015). About 10% of women and 4% of men will develop PTSD during some course of their lives (USDVA, 2015). Veterans are more susceptible to PTSD due to longer exposures to trauma, danger, or witness a violent life threaten incidence during their military service periods (USDVA, 2015). The development of PTSD becomes chronic after no longer seeing or under the “fight-or-flight“ experiences causing a psychological and/ or mental breakdown (National Institutes of Health [NIH], n.d). Such

PTSD is an anxiety disorder which is characterized by a persistent hyperarousal, re-experiencing, and an avoidance of a traumatic event or events. These three symptom clusters are used as targets for pharmacological treatments. Pharmacological treatment, however, is complicated by the fact that PTSD is frequently a combination of multiple disorders such as depression and substance abuse. It is also associated with symptoms of shame, guilt, and distrust of others in addition to significant occupational, marital, health, and financial problems. Research suggests that SSRIs (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) are the first line of treatment for the disorder. The majority of scientific

Military Pathway (2013) concluded “Military life, especially the stress of deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult”. Hence, it is not surprising that soldiers returning from a stressful war environment often suffer from a psychological condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This paper provides a historical perspective of PTSD affecting soldiers, and how this illness has often been ignored. In addition, the this paper examines the cause and diagnosis of the illness, the changes of functional strengths and limitations, the overall effects this disease may have on soldiers and their families, with a conclusion of

Imagine returning home unscathed from battle to your physical body. Staff Sargent shakes your hand will depart the ship and the reality of being a citizen never truly becomes a real reality. Losing fellow friends, seeing heinous and often gruesome separation of body and limps and doctors check off as “A ok”. The true effects of PTSD are not limited to soldiers and the effects of PTSD are so vast that medical professionals often have troubles diagnosing all cases. Not to mention many victims of PTSD are unaware of what is causing all their anxiety attacks or depression so mix that all in with a government that doesn’t properly fund its veterans returning from battle with medical therapy and we are left with one giant mess of ticking time bombs that are struggling to ever truly feel at peace. It is the goal of this research to bring to light some of the critical issues of PTSD as well as current systems in place for treatment.

The diagnosis of PTSD in veterans is different from that of a civilian diagnosed with the same condition. Civilians often experience an isolated traumatic event in their lives whereas veterans and active duty military members more frequently experience combat-related trauma while in a war zone or on the battlefield (Fragedakis & Toriello, 2014). Many of these veterans and active duty military members keep silent about their symptoms for fear of consequences to their position or because of the stigma that has been adopted around PTSD by society. This also further contributes to the severity of symptoms in their development of PTSD from onset to treatment (Fragedakis & Toriello, 2014).

The military members who are deployed to war zones, especially in the Middle East countries experience very high levels of PTSD and emotional distress. These members, both who have been on active duty and reserve component once they experience combat, they get exposed to very high levels of traumatic stress. Consequently, they develop adverse health effects such as PTSD. PTSD is considered as a long term reaction to battle field exposure, which can last short term, or long term that is, a few minutes, days, weeks, months or even a lifetime. PTSD is characterized with symptoms such as anxiety, emotional numbing, depression, and feelings of guilt. If the condition is not treated and it turns chronic, then the individual may experience functional

The evidence has shown by PTSD has grown into one of the fastest growing compensated conditions in the Veteran Affairs and Social Security. This disability program covers over 3 million veterans between 1999 and 2004 (Speroff, T,2012). When the diagnosis

This essay discusses Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its effect on combat soldiers involved in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. The goal of this paper is to inform others about what the soldiers deal with during and after combat and the different treatments available for them to cope with and hopefully overcome this disorder.

Post-traumatic stress disorder was officially acknowledged as a psychiatric disorder in 1980, mainly in reaction to America’s efforts in order to gain some sense of the toll the Vietnam war had taken on those who participated in combat (Goodwin & Rona, 2013). Military personnel who have participated in war often have an increased chance of experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Understanding such disorders in military and service members is vitally important. Post-traumatic stress disorder (also known as PTSD) and depression can manifest themselves through a wide variety of symptoms; both, have a great and adverse effect on the overall lifestyle of patients. According to Kara Irwin (2014), a researcher who conducted various

According to a Tanielian and Jaycox (2008) study, as of September 2014 there were approximately 2.7 million American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars”. Of the 2.7 million at least 20% of the veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan wars obtained PTSD and/or depression. However, it was noted that when interviewed, the military counselors stated that they believe that the percentage rate of veterans with PTSD was much higher. The number is said to continue to increase when combined with traumatic brain injury (TBI).