Symptoms And Factors That Become A Trigger Of This Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis that was associated with survivors of war when it was first introduced. Its diagnosis was met largely with skepticism and dismissal by the public of the validity of the illness. PTSD was only widely accepted when it was included as a diagnosis in 1980 in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) of the American Psychiatric Association. PTSD is a complex mental disorder that develops in response to exposure to a severe traumatic event that stems a cluster of symptoms. Being afflicted with the disorder is debilitating, disrupting an individual’s ability to function and perform the most basic tasks.

Post-traumatic stress disorder abbreviated PTSD is a response to traumatic events in someone’s life. Traumatic events are events that provoke fear, helplessness or horror in response to a threat or extreme stressor (Yehuda, 2002). Soldiers and other military members are at a much higher risk to Post traumatic stress disorder due to combat and other stressful situations they are put into. People effected by Post-traumatic stress disorder will have symptoms including flashbacks, avoidance of things, people or places that remind them of the traumatic event. Also, hyper arousal which includes insomnia, irritability, impaired concentration and higher startle reactions. In this paper I will discuss post-traumatic stress disorder, its signs, symptom and effects on culture as portrayed in the movie, American Sniper.

Between February 2001 and April 2003, many were completed by approximately 9,282 Americans, 18 years of age or above, completed a survey that was conducted by The National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). According to The National Comorbidity Survey Replication study, 5,692 Americans were diagnosed with PTSD. However, this research used the DSM-4 criteria. It was estimated that the lifetime prevalence was about 6.8% for Americans in young adulthood. This was a jump from the previous year at 3.5%. The lifetime prevalence for women was higher, at 9.7%, than it was for men at 3.6%. “Kessler, R.C., Berglund, P., Delmer, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K.R., & Walters, E.E. (2005).”

PTSD, or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of a life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or physical or sexual assault in adult or childhood. Most survivors of trauma return to normal given a little time. However, some people will have stress reactions that do not go away on their own, or may even get worse over time. These individuals may develop PTSD. People who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged, and these symptoms can be severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the person’s daily life.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a mental health condition that is generally classified as an anxiety disorder. It is often caused by a traumatic events or emotional trauma in one’s life that leads to terrifying flashbacks, nightmares and extreme anxiety. The main cause of this disorder is the conscious and subconscious fear-memories that have developed. In essence the ‘fight or flight” response that we all have is severely damaged, even when not in a stressful or dangerous situation those suffering from PTSD may feel stressed and in danger.

When one goes through a stressful and traumatic ordeal, some individuals develop an anxiety disorder known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Although there are treatments available for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, its broad array of symptoms makes it a difficult condition to treat. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition often caused by some form of traumatic event. PTSD takes a toll on both your mental health and sometimes your social and physical interactions with other individuals.

PTSD is defined as an "anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or happens to you” (United States). In these types of events one can feel that they are not in control of what is going on around them and may feel helpless or in great danger. The Department of Veterans Affairs has listed various life threatening events that can evolve into PTSD. These events include but are not limited to "Combat or Military exposure, child sexual or physical abuse, terrorist attacks, sexual or physical assault, serious accidents, such as a car wreck, natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake” (United States).

PTSD is defined as mental health disorder triggered by a terrifying event (Mayoclinic). This ordeal could be the result of some sort of physical harm or threat to the individual, family members, friends or even strangers. (NIMH) While PTSD is typically associated with someone who has served in the military, it can affect more than just that genre of individuals. It could affect rape victims, victims in a terrorist or natural disaster incident, nurses,

PTSD was first taken seriously when the Vietnam veterans returned from the war. Combat experience is the most commonly linked to this disorder. However, studies have shown that there are many different causes. These studies were applied to a wide variety of traumas that people have experienced in various horrific events. According to The National Institute of Mental Health, “about 4% of American adults ages 18-54 suffers from PTSD in a given year. These people have served in wars, have been raped or mugged, lived through natural disasters, terrorist attacks or car or plane crashes” (Mitchell). Anyone who experiences an unnerving situation is at risk for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD is seen as more of an archaic disorder in the

Post traumatic stress disorder is a psychological disorder in which the survivors of a traumatic incident or experience. Examples of this could include but are not limited to death, rape, survivors of a terrorist attack, or soldiers at war. Survivors of these incidents have a series of various symptoms (Wangelin, & Tuerk, 2014). These symptoms include, but are not limited to, irritating flashbacks, nightmares, angry outbursts, and trouble sleeping (Wangelin,, 2014). These symptoms seem to be prevalent in soldiers coming back from war and may negatively effect their personal and social lives. They are affected easily because of the trauma faced in their day to day lives. According to Wangelin (2014), between 8 and 20 percent of soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have experienced some form of PTSD . This number comes out to between 192,000 and 480,000 soldiers. This paper will explain Post Traumatic stress disorder, its causes, and the effects it has on the soldiers life and their families. Also, gender differences and treatment will be taken into consideration.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be defined as “ a complex disorder in which a person’s memory, emotional responses, intellectual process, and nervous system have been disrupted by one or more traumatic experiences”(Swan & Persis, 2016). It is trauma and stressor related, a disorder that depends on a factor outside a person. Types of events that can lead to the development of PTSD include physical assault, rape and sexual assault, military combat, torture, mass violence, natural disasters, transportation or workplace disasters, explosions and fires, life-threatening epidemics and radiation. Repeated traumas or being exposed to long duration of traumas may also cause symptoms of PTSD. There are biochemical, physiologic, sociocultural, together with occupational factors and personal variables involved in the development of PTSD (Swan & Persis, 2016). Health risks associated with PTSD include cardiovascular, digestive musculoskeletal and respiratory disorders. Also cancer, infectious diseases, suicide, homicide and drug overdose (Heavey, 2014).

PTSD used to be referred to as shell shock and battle fatigue for soldiers, but today it can affect people of all ages and all ethnic groups (Cohen 2016). Children that witness sexual abuse, adolescents that experience drive by shootings, and adults that go through natural disasters have the potential to be diagnosed with PTSD. Several recent studies have shown that trauma is fairly common in the United States. One study goes to show that over 50% of all people will experience a traumatic event some time in their lives. For women, this event is usually rape and sexual abuse. For men, it is most commonly combat exposure. Domestic violence is also a common precipitant of PTSD, but it is not as sufficiently recognized as a cause. Other causes that may lead to increased vulnerability are impairments in personal judgement, lack of supportive relationships, and previous traumatic experiences or underlying mental disorders. One common misconception is that PTSD is the immediate response to a traumatic experience. The majority of people that are exposed to a traumatic experience often develop insomnia for a short time but cope and recover fairly well. Less than 10% of people with symptoms showing PTSD go on to develop the actual disorder (Cohen

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a widespread disorder that affects certain individuals psychologically, behaviorally, and emotionally following the experience of a traumatic event (Lee et al., 2005, p. 135). However, because of inconsistencies regarding the percentage of individuals who experience PTSD and the percentage of individuals who subsequently develop PTSD, researchers hypothesize that both biological and environmental factors contribute to the development of PTSD (Wolf et al. 2010, p. 328). In order gain a better understanding of this disorder and to discover contributing and predicative factors which contribute to the development of PTSD, this paper analyses the historical context and prevalence of PTSD, the

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) “Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex, often chronic and debilitating mental disorder that develops in response to catastrophic life evens such as combat, sexual assault, natural disasters, and other extreme stressors.” (Weathers, Keane, and Foa, 2008). The continued combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in serious mental health problems for U.S. troops. These problems include “major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and PTSD.” (Vieweg et al., 2006). PTSD affects an estimated one

Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was seen as a condition where people are shocked into fear of facing situations. Over the years, it was labeled as “Soldier’s Heart” in the post Civil war era and “Shell Shock” in the World War I. In a situation of ‘fight-or-flight’ an individual is triggered to escape from danger, however in PTSD this reaction is reversed in which case the individual feels a constant threat of danger even when there is no danger present.The person diagnosed with PTSD can be anyone from a child to an adult. Many causes of this disorder include traumatic events, knowing someone who is in danger, genetic factors, and more. Symptoms include