Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )

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.

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

What is post-traumatic stress disorder? When most people think of the term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) they think of war and returning soldiers. Even though this is true, post-traumatic stress disorder does not only develop in soldier’s returning from war. When you look at the definition of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you will see that it is a mental health condition that is triggered by either experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. This means that post-traumatic stress disorder can be developed after any traumatic event or experience that one has gone through.

“ It terrorises me at night. If you have a nightmare where your friends are being blown up, you relive these things over and over and over again.” These are the words from Pte Leroy Risi who was stationed in Afghanistan and is now struggling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jump anxiety, or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience. Another war vet Vaughan Cook who also has PTSD states, “ I had very high levels of aggression, anxiety, paranoia. Then I got heavy on the drinking, two liters of whisky a day. I’ve done some bad things. I’ve self-harmed.” PTSD is a serious anxiety disorder that needs to be acknowledged, and PTSD does not only affect war vets, but millions of Americans across the country. PTSD appears to victims of accidents, disasters, and violent and sexual assaults. The biological process behind PTSD is that the limbic system increases susceptibility, by immersing the body with stress hormones repeatedly and repeatedly as images of the traumatic experience emerge into consciousness ( David G. Myers 639). PTSD patients often feel alone and vulnerable, and that no one can help them. Withdrawing from society and suicide are sadly the common outcomes if PTSD are not helped and treated.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event such as war combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, about 20 out of 100 Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and 30 in 100 Veterans of the Vietnam War. PTSD was first named in 1980 a few years after the Vietnam War. It was not a coincidence that the disorder was discovered just after the Vietnam War due to the fact that most soldiers had to face many traumatic events on the battlefield. Moreover, the horrifying memories kept coming back and have intruded the

War traumas date back to the Civil War. During the Russo- Japanese War (1904-1905) a Russian psychiatrist compared traumatized train crash survivors and returning war veterans. The train crash survivors were said to have “railway spine”, the doctors believed their anxiety was caused by the compression of the backbone (Frey n.pag). World War I (1914-1918) was the first war that used bombs, fighter airplanes, and chemical warfare. In 1917, Robert Gaupp explained that “the main causes are the fright and anxiety brought about by the explosion of enemy shells and mines” (Scott 550). During World War I the technically term was not PTSD at the time they called it “Shell Shock”. The symptoms of Shell Shock were the inability to hear, talk, stand and walk. In addition the soldier experience “thousand-yard stare” a blank and unfocused expression (Frey n.pag). Conditions like these were called “combat fatigue” or “traumatic war neurosis” during World War II (1939-1945). PTSD affect a lot of the soldiers in the Vietnam War (1954-1975). After the Vietnam War, the term Post-traumatic Stress Disorder was coined, connecting the terms shell shock, combat fatigue, and traumatic war neurosis.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event (National Institute of Mental Health [NIH], 2016). It is said that the psychic trauma that an individual suffers after the shocking experience causes the inner agency of the mind to lose its ability to control the disorganizing effects of the experience, and disequilibrium occurs. Many traumatic events can cause PTSD, like combat exposure, child sexual abuse or physical abuse, terrorist attacks, sexual or physical assault, serious accidents, or natural disasters. However, not everyone that suffers a traumatic event may develop PTSD. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2016), it is not yet clear why some people develop PTSD and others do not. Many factors influence on whether or not an individual will develop the disorder, such as: how intense the trauma was or how long it lasted. Whether or not the individual was injured or lost someone important to them. How close the individual was to the event. How strong their reaction was. How much the person felt in control of the events, or how much help and support the person received after the event (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2016). PTSD is not exclusive to adults only, children can also have the disorder.

Getting a service dog is not as easy as going to the pet store and picking out the puppy who stares into the soul and says “pick me.” For the most part, service dogs require tedious training anywhere from twelve to twenty four months and are costly according to the training and trainer. Depending on the service needed, tasks of service dogs vary from retrieving items, turning off lights, and opening doors for a disabled person to detecting seizures to relieving a person suffering with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Captain Luis Montalvan tells his account of his service dog, Tuesday, that helps him face a society with visible and invisible disabilities and overcoming discrimination with the help of federal laws in his book Until Tuesday.

Increasingly, the number of soldiers killed in battle but does not die because PTSD is increasing. PTSD without drugs or maybe, they can only use the method cognitive - behavioral, cognitive changes, effects on behavior. But that is not easy to do, because it is impossible overnight travel is able to shake off the memories of the horrors of war. There are people who have to live with it for life because it can come back anytime. Or they used antidepressants only moments to get peace of mind. They cannot shirk, cannot be dismissed because that is what the war returned to their lives.

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is a common anxiety disorder that occurs in combat veterans during time of service, after exposure to physical and/or emotional trauma. There are many symptoms of abnormalities that result to veterans dealing with this disorder, and most are evident from a few weeks or even months after they come back from the combat area. Some of the developments include avoidance of people that could trigger a negative memory from the past, difficulty in sleeping, and having nightmares that cause reactions with violence because of their paranoia. (Understanding PTSD” 2). Depression is another major symptom that occurs and can lead to abuse of alcohol and drugs (Glicken 1). PTSD can cause hardships in relationships and affect work performance. This mental state can result disabling the returning veteran to be unable to function normally at work and other areas of their lives. It can lead relationships to be destructive, violent, and end up divorced or otherwise unstable (“Understanding PTSD” 1). PTDS does not only affect a particular person, it affects their whole surroundings as well (“Understanding PTSD” 5). Studies have shown that at least 31.8% wounded in combat had PTSD, compared to 13.6% that weren’t injured (Glicken 1). The veterans who are exposed to a traumatic stressor is the definition of PTSD and the main cause of this psychological issue (Boone 2). The protracted wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past 10 years have required

David J. Morris, a Marines veteran, and the author of The Evil Hours, states that over the past four decades, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has permeated every corner of our culture. Morris states a species of pain that that went unnamed for most of human history, PTSD is now the fourth most common psychiatric

According to National Center for PTSD (Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder), “it is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault”. Lamentably, PTSD can happen to anyone, and it is not a sign of weakness. There are a number of factors that can increase the chance that someone getting will have PTSD, many of which are not under that person 's control. For example, having a very intense or long-lasting traumatic event or getting injured during an event can make it more likely that the person will develop PTSD. PTSD can manifest as nightmares, intense remembrances of the event challenge their ability to fall or stay asleep, feelings of unreasonable anger and constant edginess. Victims often avoid the situation that may produce thoughts or memories of the traumatic event. Even though PTSD is often associated with soldiers, police officers, and other emergency personnel involved in life-threatening situations, the disorder can be triggered by any overwhelming experience. Analyzing

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder majorly affects people who have witnessed a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. Any event that involves death, serious injury, threat of death, or violence can be traumatic to a person. PTSD has many side effects, including; dissociation from the self, avoiding feelings, feeling guilt or blame, loss of interest in hobbies, aggressive or reckless behaviour, feeling jittery, and always being alert for danger. Many people suffering from PTSD seek drugs or alcohol to find some relief. Another major symptom of PTSD is experiencing nightmares and flashbacks to an event. A Canadian Veteran describes PTSD in a simple way, “some things you will never unsee” and he states how he often experiences vivid flashbacks of the event (What is PTSD, 2015, September, 23 ). The Canadian Mental Health Association states, “thoughts of the event can seem to come out of nowhere. People often avoid things that remind them of the event” (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2016). Often people avoid driving if the traumatic event was a car crash, or avoid certain tastes or smells that trigger the flashbacks, but what happens when the place you feel the need to avoid, you work in everyday? For first responders all over the country, this is a reality that they have to live through. Due to the nature of their work, first responders are twice as likely to suffer from PTSD than a person working in a different occupation, and because of stigma, they are often too afraid or

Things that remind a person of the traumatic event can trigger avoidance symptoms. These symptoms may cause a person to change his or her personal routine. For example, after a bad car accident, a person who usually drives may avoid driving or riding in a car.

In today’s society mental health disorders are not always looked at as something serious. Many people do not realize that just like physical illnesses mental comes in the way of everyday lives. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health disorder that can happen to any person at any age. Traumatic events very from person to person, but many of the symptoms are very similar. (Joseph, 1997) To be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder there has to me three symptoms.