PTSD Counseling

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.

“My mind is on fire as I fear that any second, another enemy round will rip into my body and finish me off” (Johnson 2). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) effects the lives of many soldiers after returning home from war. PTSD is a psychiatric condition described in the DSM-IV as, a condition that requires a specific event to have occurred as a criterion for the diagnosis. The criteria for this disorder, according to the book Combat Trauma, can include flashbacks, times where you feel as if you are reliving the traumatic event, shame or guilt, upsetting dreams about the traumatic event, trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event, feeling emotionally numb or not feeling at all, anger or irritability, poor or destructive relationships, self-destructive behavior, trouble sleeping, memory problems, hallucinations, not enjoying activities you one enjoyed and feeling as if you no longer know who is living your day-to-day life.

I find it troubling that our Soldier’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms are being discredited by the medical community. It appears as though there has been a shift in our commitment to the health of the men and women who served this nation. These ideas connect to the overall ideas of the unit because it provides greater insight on challenges that patients and medical professionals experience when coping with cognitive health concerns. I do not have any personal experience associated with PTSD; however, the problem that I find in this article is that it suggests the effects of trauma which causes PTSD can be measured by a universal criteria. For example, I believe this research should consider that each individual has a unique level of tolerance to trauma which may cause them to respond in varying degrees of severity. Additionally, a patient’s inability to accurately express their symptoms may play a major factor which is causing this disparity. I recommend that further research should be conducted to

Being in war is definitely one of the most life changing events a person will ever have whether it be for the better or for the worst. Soldiers will witness events that are impossible to forget or see back at home in the states. Some soldiers may have even seen one of their best friends that they’ve known for forever get blown up into pieces right next to them, or they might even get one of their own limbs blown off of their own bodies, becoming handicapped for life. As a result of seeing something so intense like that, most soldiers are usually traumatized. In matter of fact, a great amount of soldiers are traumatized from the very beginning of being in war. It’s without a doubt difficult to deal with this but there are some ways where

PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a mental health condition that can occur after a person experiences a traumatic event such as disasters, assault or combat. This is an issue that many Veterans encounter while being involved in military duty. However, there is help available.

Military service members who are and have been deployed to the middle east show high levels of emotional distress and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Both active duty and reserve component soldiers who have experienced combat have been exposed to high levels of traumatic stress. As a consequence, many have gone on to develop a wide range of mental health problems such as PTSD. “According to researchers, PTSD is a long-term reaction to war-zone exposure that can last up to a few minutes, hours, several weeks, and for some a lifetime.” Common symptoms include: emotional numbing, anxiety, feelings of guilt, and depression. If the disorder turns chronic veterans may experience functional impairment (Friedman, M. J. et al., 1994, p.

One reason some don’t believe it is an honest disorder is because so many have been known to fake it, this is called malingering. I think there will be people who would fake any disorder. “As disability awards for PTSD have grown nearly fivefold over the last 13 years, so have concerns that many veterans might be exaggerating or lying to win benefits”(LATimes).”Moering, a former Marine, estimates that roughly half of the veterans he evaluates for the disorder exaggerate or fabricate symptoms”(LATimes). “I’m sure there are those who just want to collect disability and loaf their way through life.” “But that doesn’t mean the disease isn’t real. It means we need to find a way to weed out the fakers, so we can do more to help those who really have post-traumatic stress disorder.” (Is PTSD Real?). Some men and women who want out of the military will do so by telling doctors and therapists what they “need” to hear. Even though I would never wish PTSD upon anyone, it’s too bad the fakers couldn’t live a day in the life of someone who really suffers. It is unfortunate for the people who really have PTSD, it’s hard enough to deal with the disorder without feeling like they have to justify themselves actually having

With further growth in Psychiatric care and the American Psychiatric Association(APA) in the 1950’s and some later in the 1960’s, APA crated the DSM I/II (Diagnostic and Statistical Mental Disorders). With huge amounts of Vietnam Veterans interviews and further research in the 1980’s the psychological symptoms of PTSD were caused and created by the traumatic events of war time. There are still gray areas as to how to prevent this in war time and how to treat such a problem once one has it, but there is still ongoing research to this day. They are now up to the DSM 5 and are constantly researching these psychological problems. Such things like processing, classes, and psychological evaluations happen before release back to civilian life has been made for returning veterans in efforts to lessen the number of effected Veterans.

They vary from physical, to mental, to emotional, and quite often a combination of the three. This is a scary reality that many soldier and their peers are faced with on a daily basis. “Veterans who sustain more severe TBI’s may be at risk for, long term neurological difficulties [such as] motor and sensory difficulties, cognitive difficulties, seizures, speech [impairments] balance problems, and mood difficulties,” this shows how one small brain impact can affect a troop in small ways you wouldn’t realize (War Related Illness). Not being able to focus or even perform correctly in everyday life is frustrating. “Troops report that not being able to return to their lives before the war is difficult, they say that it is one of the most difficult responsibilities they are faced with.” Just imagine having to be faced with not being able to read a menu, getting angry for no reason, or having to face life threatening seizures daily. This isn’t exactly what troops would want in return for putting their life on the line for others freedoms. Depression can take over a soldier's life when he soon realizes he’s dependant on others. This is a hard adjustment from when he started out being independent to now where his time in war changed him. This could be from needing help doing physical help to needing a service dog to help cope with certain impairments.Service dogs have a high demand but a low supply due to the in depth training each dog

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental condition that is normally associated with military combat veterans. Specifically, it is classified as an anxiety disorder that sometimes occurs after being exposed to a traumatic or terrifying event or incident. The Mayo Clinic defines PTSD as a mental health condition that 's triggered by a terrifying event. It is also defined as an anxiety disorder that can develop after the exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened (Staff, 2014). PTST affects a significant number of our military combat veterans; it can affect anyone who has been subjected to such things as terror events, natural disasters, domestic violence, serious traffic

PTSD having been on the rise following various deployments necessitated by the various wars against terror, where the soldiers encounter traumatic experiences like harsh training conditions, unfavorable living standards, enemy attacks, extreme working environment, explosions, torture by enemies, loss of colleagues as well as long term separation from family back at home (Melinda S & Jeanne S., 2012). This therefore calls for a concerted effort in handling the pandemic of PTSD since it has been constantly on the increase and as a

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, affects many of our nation’s veterans. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that in the Vietnam War, almost thirty-one percent of its veterans, when they came back to the United States, developed PTSD. In recent history, eleven percent of veterans from the Afghanistan War and twenty percent of veterans from the Iraqi War have developed PTSD after arriving back in the states. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, though brought into the light recently by veterans, is still widely unknown, mainly in what the symptoms are, diagnosis, and treatments.

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).

The leading psychological condition of a returning veteran is post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. The Mayo Clinic defines PTSD as a, “Mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.” PTSD has been known to affect the lives of many returned veterans as they try to re-enter into society. Some of the more common symptoms of PTSD include, “recurring memories or nightmares of the event(s), sleeplessness, loss of interest, or feeling numb, anger, and irritability (What is Post traumatic Stress Disorder).” This can really affect the way people live their day to day life. There are people who cannot go a whole day without having an episode or panic attack. Some can’t even be around other people without it triggering bad memories, making it impossible for them to leave their homes. Other complications of PTSD include, “Increase your risk of other mental health problems, such as: Depression and anxiety, issues with drugs or alcohol use, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts and actions (PTSD).” This disorder is more common than most may realize and is so commonly not diagnosed or treated due to how they felt their peers would see them or even the potential damage to their careers. Nbc news wrote that, “Only 38 percent to 40 percent of those who indicated

PTSD is not taken as seriously as it should be, and this has had detrimental effects on current and veteran soldiers that we do not fully understand.