The Effects Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)", Retrieved May 27, 2013, from the WebMD Website: HYPERLINK "http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd" http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

"The armed forces are for you". "Join the armed forces". "Fight for your country". These are the slogans that today's youth hear and see all over the media. They hear nothing but the positive aspects of the armed forces. They never stop to think what kind of life that soldier lives when he/she returns home after their time served.

In regards to the Civil War veterans he saw, Rev. J.L. Burrows once said, "It is not in human nature to be contented under physical restraints." This quote perfectly describes the feelings of soldiers taken prisoner during the Civil War. Many of these captives harbored feelings of resentment towards their captors, despite relatively mild prison camp conditions. However, these feelings of resentment soon turned to animosity as conditions went from mildly inconvenient to hellish nightmares. This will become apparent when given the history of the prison camps and examples of two of the worst offenders - Confederate led Andersonville in the South and Union run Elmira to the North. These fiendish prisons and their practices would leave a wound

Military Pathway (2013) concluded “Military life, especially the stress of deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult”. Hence, it is not surprising that soldiers returning from a stressful war environment often suffer from a psychological condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This paper provides a historical perspective of PTSD affecting soldiers, and how this illness has often been ignored. In addition, the this paper examines the cause and diagnosis of the illness, the changes of functional strengths and limitations, the overall effects this disease may have on soldiers and their families, with a conclusion of

There are two forms of mental illness that are primarily associated with deployment, . they are post-traumatic stress disorder and Traumatic brain Injury. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a brain disorder that occurs after a traumatic event such as a car accident. This mental illness effects the psychological functions of the brain rather than the cognitive functions but can be caused by a physically traumatic event. The effect PTSD has on the brain causes people to have psychological flashbacks of an event when mental triggers similar to the traumatic event occur. When associated with war PTSD is commonly caused by death of a close friend or battalion member and can also be traced to isolation on the battlefield. Studies have shown that rates

Deployments play a major role and are a real part of serving in the military. Some men deploy for a few months, most leave for over a year, and others deploy at higher rates, but for shorter amounts of time. During and after these times away from home, Foran et al. (2013) notes that it is crucial in making close relationships with fellow military member and to reach out to family to ensure an increase in personal conflict is less likely (p 154). According to Riggs and Sermanian (2012), the strength of the leadership within the unit and how they handle the various traumatic circumstances the service members encounter, may significantly contribute to the degree of the individuals PTSD severity over time (p 18). But when it comes to service members seeking help while deployed, it is very unlikely.

Throughout a lifetime, an individual is exposed to countless events that can impact their behavior and health in a noticeable way. A positive event, tends to arise happiness and contentment within the self and with those around. A negative event, on the other hand, most often produces fear, anxiety, or stress that could result in trauma. Although some individuals may show some resilience to these last events, failure to recover may result in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Twenty veterans a day take their own lives in this nation. Suicide among military veterans is a tragic epidemic in our country. Out of every 100,00 veterans, 3.53% commit suicide; however, for every 100,000 civilian adults only 1.52% take that same drastic action (Thompson). A man by the name of Peter Kaisen from Islip, NY was denied treatment at the Northport VA for mental health issues. He was upset that he was turned away for treatment so he went directly to his car outside the VA and shot himself in the head (Rebelo). Multiple tales such as this graphic suicide are happening across the country. I felt this shockwave when my close friend and team leader, Corporal Christopher J Carter took his own life by crashing and burning alive in his car. His suicide was another demonstration of failing to receive the proper treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A veteran commits suicide every 72 minutes, this is a problem fueled by the incompetence and difficulty of receiving treatment by the Veterans Health Affairs, a negative stigma that causes veterans to suffer silently from their mental issues, as well as a failed preventative approach on stopping destructive behavior before it’s too late.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with war veterans. These days, assuming symptoms of PTSD in soldiers returning from combat tours is almost stereotypical. In fact, in the 2012 American Psychological Association (APA) annual meeting, some argue to change PTSD to post-traumatic stress “injury” to be more accommodating to soldiers, and to resolve the issue of unreported PTSD-related symptoms within military ranks (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Military officials explained that many soldiers do not report their symptoms because of the fear of being viewed as weak (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). However, the incidence of PTSD can be as common among civilians as it is for those in the military.

The harmful effects of being exposed to combat is one of the reasons why Veterans start to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and are unable to get back to their everyday lives. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is known to be very usual amongst veterans in combat. Aggressive or violent behavior in individuals with PTSD is the beginning of many marital problems and the effects of PTSD on relationship functioning include emotional detachment, decreased expressiveness, increased aggressive behavior, or violence. Further research is needed to detect features that set apart violent veterans with PTSD against violent veterans that do not have PTSD so that we can better grasp the possible distinctive approaches and signs for

The military serves as a major component in our nation 's security. All people around the country continue to rely on them every day to defend our nation’s freedom. Without a doubt, the complex responsibilities of military members encompass large amounts of anxiety, selfless service, and occasionally, terrifying events that cause a negative influence on a person’s life. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious and tragic illness among members serving in our military. Mayo Clinic (2014a) defines PTSD as a " mental health condition that 's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it" (p.361). In certain circumstances, this is a daily experience for many members of the military, but more specifically, the significant impact it has on the groups of men that conduct patrols, air- raids, and a variety of other special operations in the most dangerous territories in the world.

In recent years there has been much dispute over the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, on the armed forces. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a medical condition that affects the physiology of the brain. It commonly affects those who have experienced or witnessed stressful events, such as war. PTSD was generally referred to as “shell-shock” in the military, until an improved and more inclusive definition of the disease was discovered. Wartime environments contain a multitude of factors which are all potential causes of PTSD such as duress accredited to resounding explosions, pressure to survive, being far from home, and moral injury. Even though PTSD manifests itself so frequently in soldiers, there is little care provided for treatment of PTSD. This is a dangerous issue considering the close link between PTSD, suicide, and depression. Readily available, empathetic, and compassionate health care is a necessity for combatting this illness. Soldiers fight to protect the lives of American citizens, and deserve to be protected by those for whom they fought. The military should provide more funding, and better, more available health care for their soldiers because of the rise of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the armed services and the unfavorable effects it has on the armed services.

People who suffer from PTSD may look for resources, which can help them forget about their experiences, “People experience a range of reactions following trauma. Most people recover fine, given a little time. However, a small but noteworthy number go on to develop more serious, chronic problems, like PTSD.”(PTSD: National Center for PTSD) When one has the opportunity to erase certain memories it can be something one might look into. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be life changing for one, therefore there are people who look for ways in which to erase bad memories but don’t know the consequences from the decision.

Dr. Shiraldi states in his book, The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook Second Edition: A Guide to Healing, Recovery, and Growth, that PTSD is “a normal response by normal people to abnormal situation” (2009). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) recognized Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a mental disorder in 1980 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It is a long-term reaction to exposure to severe traumatic events in an individual’s life. These exposures might include rape, war, abuse, natural disaster or other extreme stressors. Man-made, intentional causes are usually the most complex situations to recover from, with those caused by nature being the least emotionally impacting long-term.

In this paper we will take a look at posttraumatic stress disorder (from here on referred to as PTSD) in adults, aged 18 years and older, who have been victimized by sexual abuse as a child. In every case of childhood sexual abuse there are always lingering effects from the trauma. While some victims have a positive network and receive the help needed to cope with traumatic events such as this, others are left to suffer in silence, which in turn causes a variety of long term crisis’s. One such issue that may arise in the area of psychiatric health is posttraumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event, generally coincides with two emotions, guilt and shame, expressed by the