Panic/Anxiety Disorders In Vietnam Veterans

Post-traumatic stress disorder has always been an important issue to me. PTSD became an interest of mine when I saw the effects that it has on my husband and other Veterans suffering from the same issue. I wanted to pursue this research topic to further education myself, and inform others. PTSD not only effects the Veterans mentally, but it also has an effect on their family members as well, living with someone who is easily startled, has nightmares, or avoids social situations can take a toll on everybody. In this particular topic, I will focus on inquiring information about combat Veterans, families of combat Veterans, and others interested in learning or gaining more information about post-traumatic stress disorder. I will inform my audience about this topic through various reports from past century wars and convince my audience on how post- traumatic stress disorder effects combat Veterans later in life. I am conducting this project with combat Veterans, and their families in mind as my audience. Family members of a combat Veteran may not know the signs and symptoms of PTSD.

When humans undergo traumatic events that threaten their safety and wellbeing, they may become vulnerable to nightmares, fear, excessive anxiety, depression, and trembling. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological illness that results from the occurrence of a “terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise unsafe experience” (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), 2012). This condition often leads to unbearable stress and anxiety. PTSD is significantly prevalent as indicated by data from the National Co-morbidity Survey which shows that at a particular time in their lives, 7.8% of 5, 877 adults in America suffered from PTSD (Andrew & Bisson, 2009). In the general population, the lifetime prevalence is estimated at 8%,

Today, hundreds of thousands of service men and women and recent military veterans have seen combat. Many have been shot at, seen their buddies killed, or witnessed death up close. These are types of events that can lead to Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder ("Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD: A Growing Epidemic. “) Anyone that has gone through a traumatic event can be diagnosed with PTSD but research shows, military men and women are more susceptible to having PTSD (PTSD: A Growing Epidemic.) And, with little help from the US, many Veterans do not get the help they need or get treated for PTSD. Military men and women begin to

It is common knowledge that with every war, there always comes casualties. Soldiers can lose an arm or a leg, or even their life when they go to war. Unfortunately soldiers can even lose their minds because of war. Specifically, this research paper will focus on PTSD, or in other words: post traumatic stress disorder. PTSD has shown up as a factor from many wars, but for some reason, one war in particular stands out from all others regarding the the PTSD numbers. It is called the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War (1956-1975) was part of the cold war. The US wanted to prevent Vietnam from becoming a communist country, so after Vietnam split into a north and south, they began to support South Vietnam. The US thought that if Vietnam were to

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

As we learn more about the cause and effect of PTSD we can better equip ourselves to help those in need. It is a process that has a clear beginning but an unclear ending. A person who can function normally for many years after seeing combat may find it increasingly difficult to sit in a classroom day after day. With raising awareness on not only the severity but the scope of impact of mental health disorders it can eliminate the stigma of weakness and get these men and women who have put themselves second much of their lives the help they

PTSD is a disorder that is developed after witnessing life threatening events. These events can range from natural disasters to any type of assault in any point in your life. With this mental health condition comes to a series or nightmares, jumping at small noises, reoccurring memories, depression, and anger. Symptoms usually don't often show up for a few months or years after the terrifying event. But once they start, it's a difficult mindset to retreat from. This specific disorder can it harder for one to be engaged in liked activities such as going to work, walking your dog, exercising, or even leaving the house. Many veterans may feel the need to constantly be on guard (What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

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

Today's veterans offten return home and find themselves experiencing PTSD symptoms as a result of combat-related stress and signfigant amount of exposure to traumatic events. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among United States Veterans has risen to great numbers in recent years due United States involvement in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) thus far within the last 10 years 1,400,000 military service members have been engaged in these conflicts. Once Unitied States troops were deployed and participated in Operation New Dawn (OND) numbers began to rise over 2.5 million troops. (Rosenthal, J. Z., Grosswald, S., Ross, R., & Rosenthal, N. 2011) The veteran population will face exclusive types of stressors

For those who served in Vietnam, the war left a major legacy. Due to the fact of Vietnam War being unpopular, and unacknowledged, the veterans had to adjust to different consequences. Vietnam veterans experienced physical, and psychological problems. Exposure to Agent Orange was a huge issue, because of all the issues it caused. It had long-term consequences, like the increase of the risk of various types of cancer, and birth defects among the veterans' children. A negative legacy the war left on Vietnam veterans has been the health effects of Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam. The exposure to the different kinds of chemicals caused them, and their family to develop illnesses, and birth defects for their children. Of the veterans'

One of the most well known and most common mental conditions that afflict veterans is PTSD. PTSD stands for post traumatic stress disorder and is caused by having high stress levels at any given time. While anyone can get PTSD, Veterans acquire it most often due to their strict training and the horrors of war. Richard Weaver, a veteran that served as a Navy Medic for two years in Iraq shared an example of what PTSD is like. He says "I could be in a classroom here and somebody would walk past and drop a book. Well, that’s a loud “pop” sound in an echoing hallway, and I’m set off for the rest of the day. I’m looking around. I’m nervous" (“Two”). Having PTSD greatly affects everyday life for veterans. For Richard Weaver, all it took was

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

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

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.

In the past, veterans who disclosed suffering from signs of PTSD encountered a great deal of ignorance and bias. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (n.d.), veterans who had the illness were often considered weak, were rejected by comrades, and even faced discharge from military service. In fact, even physicians and mental health specialists often questioned the existence of the disease, which of course led to society’s misconception of PTSD in general. Sadly because of this existing prejudice it appears even today soldiers are still worried to admit having PTSD symptoms, and therefore they do not receive the proper support they need. While individuals are assured that their careers will not be affected, and seeking help is encouraged, most soldiers see it as a failure to admit having a mental health illness (Zoroya, 2013). Educating military personal of this illness, and making sure no blame is put on the veterans who encounter this disease is therefore vital.