Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is “a mental condition that can affect a person who has had a very shocking or difficult experience and that is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, etc.” (Merriam-Webster’s, n.d.) Post-traumatic stress disorder can occur after seeing a dangerous event such as war, hurricanes, car accidents, death of a loved one, and violent crimes. It can affect a victim mind, body, and the people around them. While some mental disorders are genetic, this disorder come from the things that people encounter in life. This paper will discuss the risk factor involved with post-traumatic stress disorder as well as treatments that will help overcome it and future research and approaches to treat this psychiatric illness. …show more content…
It is common in war veterans because they deal with the common symptom of flashbacks. A person suffering from this may be able to mentally be sent back to the time and location of the original traumatic experience. This can be triggered by something small such as a noise, smell, or any specific thing. A person who is serving their country put himself or herself at risk of PTSD just by being in the war. They do not necessarily have to return fire or have a lot of exposure to the combat to suffer. Research by McLay et al. (2014) supports this theory with self-reported symptoms of PTSD and depression that were examined among service members who reported being shot at or attacked by an IED. It included that they may become higher in risk for PTSD because the helplessness of being unable to return fire against the enemy had shown relations to PTSD and injuries sustained in war make them more vulnerable to it as well. McLay et al. (2014) results also showed that those who been attacked but not shot at the enemy had less severe symptoms than those who had exchanged fire. Studying the brain has been an affective result in finding out the various neurochemicals that are involved with PTSD. Brain imaging systems nowadays focus on two brain structures, the amygdala and the hippocampus. The amygdala is involved with how we learn about our fear and hippocampus plays a role with our memory formation. Some research focuses on a hormonal system known as hypothalamic-pituitary
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
At least 50% of all adults and children are exposed to a psychologically traumatic event (such as a life-threatening assault or accident, humanmade or natural disaster, or war). As many as 67% of trauma survivors experience lasting psychosocial impairment, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); panic, phobic, or generalized anxiety disorders; depression; or substance abuse.(Van der Kolk, et al, 1994) Symptoms of PTSD include persistent involuntary re-experiencing of traumatic distress, emotional numbing and detachment from other people, and hyperarousal (irritability, insomnia, fearfulness, nervous agitation). PTSD is linked to structural neurochemical changes in the central nervous system which may have a direct
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can do a range of things to the brain. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder makes the victim continuously remember the event. It was originally known as “shell shock” where vets were struggling going through daily life. Finally after the Vietnam War Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was “identified and given its name.” When these discoveries were made, proper treatment was then given to the victims. Research shows that
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
Post-Traumatic stress disorder, commonly known as PTSD, is on a rise in our country and expected to rise more in the coming years (Iribarren, Prolo, Neagos, & Chiappelli, 2005). PTSD is a psychiatric disorder than can result from the experience or witnessing of traumatic or life-threatening events (Iribarren, Prolo, Neagos, & Chiappelli, 2005). According to the Evidence based article examples of PTSD are terrorist attack, violent crime and abuse, military combat, natural disasters, serious accidents or violent personal assaults (Iribarren, Prolo, Neagos, & Chiappelli, 2005). PTSD has also been liked to possible exposure to environmental toxins such as Agent Orange or electromagnetic radiation (Iribarren, Prolo, Neagos, & Chiappelli, 2005).
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.
Men and Women who served for their country should be given all respect and care when they return home. Veterans come home with injuries that can affect them from living a healthy comfortable life. Their injuries can be from physical to mental injuries like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from combat. Veterans who come home with these injuries should be provided, by the government, health care where they can live an enjoyable life. Having veterans take an alternative rout like qualifying for medicade could help a lot of these people struggling. Many of these veterans are also homeless and need help finding jobs. Government programs could be put in place that could help find jobs for the veterans. Veterans should be able to come home and life a healthy happy life where they can contribute back to there societies. Governments should provide for the needs of the veterans to keep them healthy and supply them with jobs so they have food, clothes, and shelter.
As stated above, war is the most common trauma that causes PTSD. For many Veterans, memories of their wartime
Imagine yourself running out of gas in your vehicle, there is a gas station a few blocks away from where your car stopped. At the gas station, there is a Samaritan offering you a ride back to your car once you finished filling the gas container. Trusting this Samaritan, you accept the ride and you notice he has willfully passed your car. Panicking, the child lock is on and there is no way to escape. With all the thoughts rushing through your head, he has reached a destination where he drags you out the car and begins to wrestle you on to the floor to rape and possibly kill you. You are being beaten and forced to cooperate in sexual activity, but there is a sharp object on the floor that saves your life. With no hesitation you puncture the rapist and flee immediately as he sobs in pain. After this traumatic event, there is a great possibility of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can develop following a traumatic event that threatens your safety or makes you feel helpless (Smith, Lawrence, & Segal, 2015). According to Julian D Ford, PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that affects as many as one in 14 adults and adolescence at some time in their lives as many as 1 in 20 children before they begin kindergarten (Ford, Grasso, Elhai, & Courtois, 2015 ).It personally affects those who witness it as well as their family members. Those with occupations that require exposure to traumatic events such as military, emergency workers, and law enforcement officers can
Dr. Viatcheslav Wlassoff posted an article on Brain Blogger about the different areas of the brain affected by PTSD. He goes on to say that stress and certain parts of the brain trigger the flashbacks and other symptoms that come with PTSD. The following parts of the brain, amygdala, hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex, are the parts of the brain in PTSD affected and the most significant is the hippocampus. (Wlassoff)
“Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes,” (Feldman, 2009, p.5). There are many different views of psychological studies. However, they all share the basic foundation. They analyze memories, emotions, perceptions, thoughts, and reasoning processes, as well as the body’s functioning and what maintains these. In addition, each field of psychology strives to improve lives. Understanding behavior and mental processes aids in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses (Feldman, 2009, p.5). There is a vast array of recognized mental illnesses. This paper will reflect on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; the causes of it, the features and associated features, the major psychological perspectives on PTSD, the
Each year, over three million children and adolescents experience some form of traumatic event in their life (Ray, 2014). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of a traumatic event (Hamblen, 2009). Some of the events that can cause children and adolescents to suffer from PTSD are natural and man-made disasters, violent crimes, rape, or murder of a parent, school shootings, motor vehicle accidents, severe burns, exposure to community violence, war, peer suicide, and sexual and physical abuse. A social worker must assess the biopsychosocial development and other theories to implement an effective plan to evaluate the needs of the individual.
It is not enough to simply want to help member of the military. There is a need for true cultural knowledge and competency. Roughly 1.7 million troops deployed to operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. The engagement in war has significant psychological and physical wounds for military personnel. Between 19 and 38% of recently returning veterans report having emotional difficulties. As many as 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffer from some form of invisible wounds of was. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or military sexual trauma. A high number of military members with various injuries such as loss of limbs, as well as other physical wounds. Many military personnel have to struggle with the thoughts of can I continue to do my job efficiently and effectively. Being in the military for 6 years and being deployed to Iraq I fully understand how many military personnel are going through with recent war time hardships. The traumatic experience that I had been through while I was in the Navy and the lack of care that I received from the counselors made me realize that being a military counselor is something that I want to do. Also that there is a great need for counselors that care for people and truly want to help fight against PTSD and other mental traumas that come from being in the military.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects 7.7 million American adults and can also occur during childhood. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that stems from a recent emotional threat such as a natural, disaster, war, and car accidents. PTSD usually occurs from an injury or coming close death. A person who has experienced a past traumatic event has a heightened chance of being diagnosed with PTSD after a current trauma. PTSD can also be determined by looking at one’s genes, different emotions, and current or past family setting. Normally, when a person without PTSD goes through a traumatic event the body releases stress hormones, which in time returns back to normal; However, a person with PTSD releases stress hormones that do not return
Traumatic events also produce profound and lasting changes in physiological arousal, emotion, cognition, and memory. Moreover, traumatic events may result in the severance of these normally integrated functions from one another. Traumatized individuals may also suffer from the memories of the tragic or horrifying experiences they have undergone. Frequently, as a result of these many symptoms, it becomes inevitable for the individual to develop certain complications associated with trauma-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder.