PTSD In Military Veterans

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

This paper explores post-traumatic stress and how it is seen as a disorder. Post-traumatic stress can manifest into post-traumatic stress disorder. According to Sareen (2014), Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5 as having 4 core features that are as follows. First, the person must witness or experience a stressful event. Secondly, the person or persons would re-experience symptoms of the event that include nightmares and/or flashbacks. The person or persons would also have hyper arousal symptoms, such as concentrations problems, irritability, and sleep disturbance. The final core feature dictates

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.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can produce emotional responses caused by the trauma endured during combat operations. It does not have to emerge immediately, but can actually happen weeks, months, or even years after the traumatic event. PTSD was often referred to as “combat fatigue” or “shell shock” until 1980 when it was given the name post-traumatic stress disorder. According to

There has been controversy about whether the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs is taking care of their veterans or are resisting in recognizing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Union of Concerned Scientist found that the Department of Defense stated that, “The U.S. Army allegedly pressured psychologists not to diagnose Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to free the Army from providing long-term, expensive care for soldiers. The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has also been implicated in pressuring staff to misdiagnose veterans with the aim of cutting costs” (UCS). In result of not properly diagnosing the veterans, they are left unsure why treatment

Veterans transitioning from the rigorous and demanding lifestyle of active duty to a blue collar nine to five face unique obstacles that if go unchecked can have substantial on their mental health and over all well-being. It’s no secret that PTSD has been a hot button issue in recent years. It’s a term that has become synonymous with those serving tours in combat zones such as Iraq an Afghanistan. This mental condition brings with it a plethora of symptoms including depression, anxiety and insomnia. Not to mention high levels of stress that can have varying effects from person to person. PTSD can also come as a result of occupations outside of the military such as police, fire fighters and health care workers. This essay will be exploring how

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

1 in 8 returning soldiers suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Soon after returning home, family members start noticing a change in the soldiers. Most are in denial about having PTSD. What they need to know is that the earlier that they can get help, the better off they’ll be. With so many suffering, where are all the treatments? Even though some soldiers would abuse the treatment provided for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, American Veterans need to be provided with the proper treatment for it.

Many veterans who have been through war and experienced the gruesome nature of it come back to civilian life as a whole different person. Once they have returned, it is extremely difficult for them to function normally and go back to the way they used to be. One adjustment issue that individuals with PTSD struggle with is having this unrestrained feeling of being on edge that occurs spontaneously. As a soldier, these people were trained to always be on guard, fully alert, and be ready to pull the trigger during combat. As a result, some of these individuals develop a violent and agitated behavior, which is very hard for them to control. Furthermore, many veterans with PTSD have flashbacks of the horrors of warfare and have constant nightmares

The majority of Vietnam veterans experienced delayed or chronic PTSD which we know now, can remain dormant for years until symptoms are triggered. According to the Vietnam Veterans’ Readjustment Study, approximately 30.9% of men and 26.9% of women soldiers in Vietnam had PTSD at some point in their lives. (P8) Lifting these requirements from the DSM-III allowed many more veterans to step forward; and with this new massive population of test subjects- scientists were able to research the dynamics, variables, and patterns of PTSD, through the advancements of neuroimaging and neuroscience. (P9) “There were many more cases of PTSD among Vietnam veterans than any other war.” (P5) A number estimated to be near 500,000. (P11)

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

Berger (2015) discusses PTSD historical roots and facts from previous war eras, about combat-related trauma and mental health conditions, that compasses today’s PTSD in veterans. In similarity, (Martin , 2012) also discuss historical facts about combat trauma in veterans, and their struggles with re-integration of life and communities they left behind and understood, since the Civil War and other wars that followed (Martin, 2012). Post-war veterans also experience trauma because of chemical and toxic exposure that caused a chronic illness, less expectation of quality of life, and mortality (Martin, 2012). Consequently, many of today’s combat veterans, experience similar traumatic events that resemble those of pre-war eras such as, nightmares,

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects 11-20% of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, 10% of Gulf War veterans and 30% of Vietnam War veterans. With many young men and women shipping off to join the military service, the thought of being one of the 20 out of 100 coming back from the Iraq or Afghanistan wars to suffer from PTSD is a scary thought. Little is known about PTSD and all major research being done on PTSD has been completed in only the last 30 years. This excludes many of the veterans of World War 1 and World War 2, the most gruesome war in the last century. The government is steadily increasing the benefits and services available to veterans suffering from PTSD symptoms

PTSD is a disorder that usually comes from traumatic experiences such as but not limited to deaths, sexual violence natural disasters etc. When people think of those who are affected by PTSD they think of veterans from the military. This seems to be the case in Nyaronga and Toma’s (2015), study when they discovered that certain military branches are at more risk of PTSD than other branches such as the marines or army. This may be because they are more involved in war than the Airforce and the Navy. Even though the military seem to be more at risk than those not in the military, Nyraonga and Toma (2015) also discovered that race and social support is correlated with PTSD symptoms. For example, in Boyraz et al. (2014) study, they noticed that

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is characterized by psychological intrusions, avoidance, hyperarousal, and negative cognitive changes following a traumatic event (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). While the majority of people will at one time or another be exposed to a traumatic event, a distinct minority develops PTSD (Gradus, 2016). PTSD affects approximately 12% of US combat veterans of the Gulf War at one point in their life (Gradus, 2016). Compared to a prevalence rate of 7% in the general populace, PTSD appears to disproportionately affect combat veterans (Gradus, 2016). Studies have found that there are many risk factors that may predispose one to PTSD, ranging from the neurobiological to one’s social support system (Bar-Shai