Post Traumatic Stress, An Indiscriminate Affliction Or A Degree Of Susceptibility?

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a common anxiety disorder characterized by chronic physical arousal, recurrent unwanted thoughts and images of the traumatic event, and avoidance of things that can call the traumatic event into mind (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, & Nock, 2014). About 7 percent of Americans suffer from PTSD. Family members of victims can also develop PTSD and it can occur in people of any age. The diagnosis for PTSD requires one or more symptoms to be present and crucially interfere with living a normal life ("Post-traumatic Stress," 2014). Women usually experience PTSD more commonly than men after being exposed to trauma. Examples of PTSD could be veterans from war experiencing traumatic

World War II is still seen today as one of the most lethal wars in history. As technology advanced, more destructive weapons were created. In the hands of the wrong people and those forced to use them, these weapons paved the way for physical and psychological destruction. Furthermore, the mentality of individuals during this time enabled more marring upon themselves and upon other individuals. Even though what we now refer to as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, existed before World War II, this time period brought about a higher prevalence of PTSD, as well as began to change the way this disorder was perceived by people.

However, the argument that exposure to traumatic event can always result in mental health problems has become controversial because it can stigmatize those who do not believe they have been affected in an adverse manner. Fortunately, only a small percentage of people experience severe enough lose or trauma reactions to meet the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), and most people appear to fully recover from any adverse effect within a relatively short period of time, and to successfully overcome potentially traumatic events with little or no disruption in their normal ability to function (Shalev, 2002). Therefore, it is important to note that “the emergence of interest in the concept of resilience comes at the peak of success of the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), serving as a reminder that

PTSD is increasing with expanding population today while the decreasing levels of mental healthcare services is making the mismatch more problematic for affected individuals and for the society as a

Although posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is sometimes considered to be a relatively new diagnosis, as the name first appeared in 1980, the concept of the disorder has a very long history. That history has often been linked to the history of war, but the disorder has also been frequently described in civilian settings involving natural disasters, mass catastrophes, and serious accidental injuries. The diagnosis first appeared in the official nomenclature when Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-I was published in 1952 under the name gross stress reaction. It was omitted, however, in the next edition in 1968, after a long

Among survivors of urban violence, 79% had not sought help from mental health care institutions (Van der Ploeg et al., 1985). This implies that many individuals who have been exposed to war and to other violence are not seen by health care professionals. An important question is how these individuals have adapted. If they did well without professional help, then we might learn from their ways of coping. If, on the other hand, they did not adapt well, this would raise the question why they did not seek support from health care professionals. Knowledge about motives for (not) seeking professional help may enable policy makers and health care professionals to improve the fit between the needs of survivors of war and other violence and the health care organization. The present study was conducted among a large random community sample of people who experienced World War II (WWII) to find out what proportion of the Dutch WW II survivors sought medical or mental help and what the characteristics of these help-seeking survivors are as compared to non-help-seeking survivors. The majority of these survivors experienced the German occupation of the Netherlands (1940-1945). Others experienced the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies (1942-1945) and the subsequent violent Indonesian independence struggle (1945-1950). (pp. 243-61)

Sheena M. Eagan’s piece, “Emasculated by Trauma: A Social History of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Stigma and Masculinity”, sheds light on the hidden past of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the way the disorder has been and is treated, along with how men diagnosed with PTSD have been and are viewed by society.

Over twenty veterans commit suicide every single day in the United States (Freking). Twenty lives taken off the face of this earth due to mental or physical hardships these veterans face each and every day. One of the largest contributors to this huge amount of unnecessary deaths is the silent killer that is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a mental disorder that develops when someone experiences traumatic events or other moments in which their life is in jeopardy. The effects of PTSD can leave one feeling alone, anxious, hopeless, and turn them into a lesser version of themselves. Roughly fifteen percent of veterans return from deployments in which they experienced combat with PTSD, thus amassing to over 400,000 soldiers from the campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq alone (How Common Is PTSD?). Even though PTSD effects so many veterans there is not a lot of public knowledge or support for the fight to combat it. Due to the devastating effects that post-traumatic stress disorder has on our veteran population both the government and the public should provide the funding, support, and recognition that is needed to combat the disease.

For many war veterans Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or what is better known as PTSD is common. Finding a treatment that is right for someone with this condition can be challenging but not impossible. Despite the circumstances, people who suffer from PTSD should be able to receive the care that is most effective for them to overcome their condition.

War is a constant in the world we live in. Wars are fought over people, land, religion, ideals, and freedom. A prominent war in America's history is the Vietnam War, which took the lives of thousands of soldiers and civilians alike and neither side wanted to keep the violence going. “The Man I Killed” by Tim O’Brien explores the psychological effects of someone in a war setting. While “Military Service, Exposure to Trauma, and Health in Older Adulthood: An Analysis of Northern Vietnamese Survivors of the Vietnam War” by Kim Korinek and Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan further explores this idea by showing how civilians are also affected by the trauma of war not just soldiers. “American Ignorance of War” by Czeslaw Milosz shows American’s

The chapter ‘Clinical Histories: From Soldier’s Heart to PTSD’ from the book ‘Fields of Combat’ by Erin Finley, examines U.S. military community’s perception of combat stress casualties. From the Civil War times until now, there has been growth in the understanding that soldiers face extreme psychological consequences, like behavioral and functional problems, after returning home from war. In 1980, this behavioral and functional problem is formally recognized as Post-Traumatic Stress order (PTSD) in the U.S. and it was internationally recognized in the late 1980’s. Not only was the diagnosis given to survivors of combat, but also noncombat traumatic experiences, such as rape, natural disaster, rape and etc. The chapter looks at the historical

For centuries there have seen casualties of war; soldiers who have had various physical injuries and scars that last a lifetime. Yet until the 20th century little was known about the emotional effects of war on soldiers and it wasn't until soldiers were studied psychologically that the public began to understand what had happened to them. One of the many things that the public began to understand was that any returning veteran came back with disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and the shell shock also known as Combat Stress Reaction. The trauma that they suffered is so great that some veteran come back not knowing how to act in their new normal life and become homeless, they suffer from substance abuse to cope and it jeopardizes

Studies have found that post traumatic stress disorder affects almost 31% of Vietnam veterans. War has a catastrophic impact on people’s health and well-being. Soldiers aren’t only affected physically during war. Many are affected mentally as well. For example, during the war and post war many individuals suffer from what is known as shell shock, which was especially prominent throughout World War 1. Post traumatic stress disorder and shell shock are due to the brain’s failed attempts to cope with their trauma. The novel Slaughterhouse 5, the excerpt from The Yellow Birds, and the short story “Soldier’s Home” all describe the lives of soldiers post war. The repercussions of the traumatic experiences that soldiers survive through during war

Violence, terror, suffering and death. The conflict that has been burning in Northern Ireland seems to be an unstoppable battle and it has flooded over the land of Northern Ireland. The struggle for power and the persistence of greed have fueled the raging fires of the opposing groups. The conflict in Northern Ireland has been discussed continually over the past few decades. Ever since the beginning of the “Troubles,” organizations have been scavenging to find a plan that will cease the violence. Throughout my research for this project, the questions of what are the main sources of conflict in Northern Ireland and why have they continued today guided me to many fascinating pieces of evidence that

The main objective of this research article is to explore the effect of long term violence and trauma in Northern Ireland’s on group of individuals using two sets of data. The first data was collected between 1985/86, at the peak of the violence and the other set was collected after the ceasefire period between 2005/06. (Dillenburger, Fargas & Akhonzada, 2008:1312). To achieve this objective, the researchers used an assortment of research techniques and methods of data collections. These includes, but not limited to, qualitative research method, narrative inquiry methodology, case study strategy, longitudinal method, in-depth semi structured interview, contextual analysis framework, participant observation, narrative data analysis, gate keeper approach and snowballing to mention a few. (Dillenburger, et al 2008:1312-1320).