Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay

The Spaniards called it estar roto which means “to be broken” (Tick 99). These soldiers weren’t experiencing nostalgia which means the same as homesickness, but they were fighting battles within their subconscious that made them feel like they weren’t themselves anymore. Maybe the Spaniards got it right because they were broken, not emotionally or physically, but mentally. In 1952, the first edition of DSM-I (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) was written. The first attempt to define PTSD was: gross stress reaction. The name and definition was reinvented multiple times, but it disappeared from the second edition of the manual. Thirty-seven years later, Congress mandated the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish the National Center for PTSD. During the same year, Congress demolished the notion held for decades that the symptoms of PTSD were caused by character flaws (Thomas 15). PTSD affects both men and women. Women are more than twice as likely to develop PTSD than men (“Women on the Frontlines”). During World War II (WWII), twenty WWII veterans may have suffered symptoms of PTSD (Thomas 20). It was estimated that as many as thirty percent of United States soldiers that fought in Korea may have symptoms of PTSD (Thomas 20). Twice as many veterans in Iraq have been diagnosed than veterans in Afghanistan. Before deployment the rate was five percent which is the same as the general United States population. 16 to 17 percent of those

With the recent release of the popular movie and book American Sniper, much attention has been drawn to the effects of the disease of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on its victims. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a mental illness from going through a traumatic experience, is more prevalent in veterans and men currently serving in the military, and it is important that effective treatment be sought.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder also known as PTSD is an emotional condition that can develop following a terrifying or traumatic event.

The tactics used in World War I were radically different than that of previous wars. The majority of the war was fought in the trenches, and the war itself seemed to have no end. Due to this, the psychological impact of the war was unlike anything that had been seen before. During the early days of the war, the soldiers, on both sides, seemed to lack the dedication that would have been necessary to exterminate their enemy. However, as the war progressed, the desire to avenge their fallen comrades overcame their ethics and they began to kill their enemy indiscriminately. Surviving soldiers experienced a phenomenon that was, at that time, referred to as shell shock. Today we refer to this phenomenon as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. At this time, this psychological condition was misunderstood and the doctors lacked the training necessary to effectively treat this condition.

An American machine gunner, Charles Yale Harrison, says in his novel, Generals Die in Bed: “[War] take[s] everything from us: our lives, our blood, our hearts; even the few lousy hours of rest, they take those, too. Our job is to give, and theirs is to take,” (Harrison, 26). In this example, Harrison explains how war is the most selfish and strongest of all evils; war continues to take everything someone has until they have nothing left to take. The war also created long-term effects for soldiers; one being shell-shock. This term is used to describe the damage of constant loud shelling during war which greatly affected those who were not exposed to shelling frequently (Unnamed). Another term that is still used today is PTSD, (“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”), which is used to describe the effect war had on the soldiers afterward (Unnamed). World War I brought major psychological disorders upon the soldiers during and after the war had ended leading to great damage for the rest of the victim’s

Many veterans are unable to leave behind the trauma of Vietnam and psychologically return home. They struggle with a variety of extremely severe problems that neither they nor their families, friends, or communities knew how to understand

During World War I, thousands of British soldiers were diagnosed with “shell shock,” a condition which was thought to encompass both physical and psychological symptoms. The discovery of shell shock is typically considered to be an important catalyst in the gradual recognition of mental illnesses caused by combat. However, the characterizations of shell shock as an early discovery of post-traumatic stress disorder made by many historians are false. Shell shock should not be thought of as a credible wartime medical advancement, but as a false and primitive identification of war-trauma.

Victor Monjaraz, a former Marine, says that he felt he could handle PTSD on his own, but his emotions did not allow him to. His wife had to convince him to visit a psychologist at the VA and see what the doctor had to say. Monjaraz already felt that he had PTSD before the visit. He was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Monjaraz experienced night terrors and road rage. He was easily irritated and could not be in crowded spaces. The disease also took a toll on his marriage and says, “The Marines taught me to turn off my emotions but didn’t teach me how to turn them back on” (Monjaraz).

But there were documenting the disorder as early as 1761.One physican says there are 3 stages to the disorder. First stage, hallucination. Second, period of fever and prominent gastrointestinal symptoms. Third, anger and depression. Another physician noted that soldiers had nostalgia of war. Before the disorder was an actual disorder they called it “shell shock” in 1919. It received the name “shell shock” regarding the effects of artillery shells reaction of the explosion. A doctor observed civil war veterans describe it as overstimulation of the heart's nervous system. For the war veterans to managed this so called syndrome the took drugs. After World War 1 post traumatic stress was known as Combat Stress Reaction. It was sometimes misdiagnosed as multiple disorders such as acute stress disorder, adjustment disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, Brief psychotic disorder, depression and panic

The Civil War was a devastating war with many casualties for both sides. The physical side of these wounds is widely written about and there is a lot of detail on the topic. John E. Talbott decided to write about the mental side effects of the Civil War instead. He uses different sources to prove his claim that Civil War soldiers and veterans suffered from “shell-shock” or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or P.T.S.D. He shows how those effected by these disorders acted, how they were seen by those around them, and how they were treated by the public or government by analyzing articles written during or after the Civil War.

“Shellshock” by Roger J. Spiller is an article about the history of exposing and diagnosing PTSD with evidence compiled from multiple countries around the world who have experienced warfare. The writer describes a vast array of physical symptoms with no visible injuries associated with combat (especially those serving in the front lines), the idealism for becoming a soldier of glory in battle, the extent to which the damages from these mental cases caused armies worldwide, and a conclusion that democracy and the industrial revolution influenced the end of those suffering from the disorder in silence.

madman, figures of dreadful terror, speechless and uncontrollable. It was a physical as well as a moral shock which had reduced them to this quivering state.” Philip Gibbs, World War I reporter for the Daily Chronicle, describes war on the Western War Front. These speechless uncontrollable men had suffered from shell shock, today more commonly known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Due to the many innovations, new technologies, and machine weapons in World War I, a tremendous increase of injury occurred compared to any war prior to World War I. Doctors and nurses struggled to provide care while researching about new conditions and cures to disease

here are several things that could trigger acute and post-traumatic stress disorders in modern society such as disasters, war, abuse, or even sexual assault. Disasters could include natural disasters such as tornados, floods, or hurricanes. It could also be something such as a fire, a vehicle accident, or something such as a plane crash. War, of course, has a lasting effect on many and all of the things one sees and experiences while in the war can be plenty to cause acute or post-traumatic stress disorders. Being abused or assaulted can be haunting as well. Being bullied is another scenario that could cause someone to experience acute or post-traumatic stress disorders. I think it can really get to them if they experience something big or if

The influence of war on soldiers and civilians has been a source for the study of trauma and the development of descriptions for it. Following World War II the American Armed Forces

The life of a soldier is sad; they fight not only with the enemies who want to kill them but also with their weakening minds. Their battles manifest in the psychical and mental world as the war drags on. Knowing this, it is no wonder why most soldiers employ psychological defense mechanisms to violently deal with anger and anxiety, give justifications to killing enemy soldiers, limit emotional reactions caused by their experiences, and make war less intense with humour. The defense mechanisms, as shown thus far, are not perfect; they each have their fair share of fatal flaws which only serve to demonstrate the devastating effects of war. The countless of war veterans who come back with disorders like PTSD despite having used defense mechanism