The Role Of PTSD In Erasing Traumatic Memory

About 30% of the men and women who have spent time in war zones experience PTSD. (Military.) The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that PTSD afflicts almost 31% of Vietnam veterans, as any as 10% of Gulf War veterans, 11% of veterans of the war in Afghanistan, and 20% of Iraqi war veterans. An additional 20 to 25 percent of all military men and women have had partial PTSD at some point in their lives (Military.)

There have been many diagnoses of PTSD in American soldiers. As Mark Thomas said in a magazine article, “The National Academy of Sciences have report estimated that up to 20% of 2.6 million US men and women who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq may have it (PTSD)”(Thomas). This quote expresses that nearly 520,000 US families have been affected by this disorder. It also shows that PTSD has become a large enough issue that more and more people and

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder statistics are exceedingly difficult to gauge among veterans. According to the following source, “it is possible to have undiagnosed PTSD for 30 years and not realize it” (Veterans and PTSD). Symptoms may not be diagnosed anywhere from 1 year after service to a lifetime. Also, it must be taken into account that after retiring many veterans may lose touch and not receive treatment for symptoms or further affiliate with the military. In the 1980s, regarding PTSD in Vietnam veterans, it was found that 15%-30% of veterans reported having PTSD; however, in 2003 a new study found that four out of five reported symptoms.

The freedoms Americans enjoy come at a price; brave military men and women often foot the bill. Many men and women pay with their lives; others relive the sights, sounds, and terror of combat in the form of PTSD. Several causes and risk factors contribute to the development of PTSD. Combat-related PTSD appears slightly different than traditional PTSD. History tells of times when soldiers diagnosed with PTSD were viewed as “weak.” Resources have not always been available to struggling soldiers. The adverse symptoms of PTSD on soldiers and their families can be crippling.

A study in 2008 showed that about 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffer from PTSD or major depression, and about 320,000 may have experienced at least a mild concussion or brain injury in combat (Zoroya). American society is witnessing a hasty rise in the need for treatment of PTSD for returning soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans has been prevalent in the United States ever since the diagnosis of shell shock after World War I. PTSD continues to be prevalent in veterans from the Vietnam War, to the Gulf War, to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD among veterans during the Vietnam era was 30.9% for men and 26.9% for women (U.S. Department of Government Affairs, 2015). Based on a population study the prevalence of PTSD among previously deployed Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom was 13.8% (U.S. Department of Government Affairs, 2015). PTSD in combat veterans can be very difficult to understand. This is widely due to the lack of research

Today's veterans offten return home and find themselves experiencing PTSD symptoms as a result of combat-related stress and signfigant amount of exposure to traumatic events. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among United States Veterans has risen to great numbers in recent years due United States involvement in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) thus far within the last 10 years 1,400,000 military service members have been engaged in these conflicts. Once Unitied States troops were deployed and participated in Operation New Dawn (OND) numbers began to rise over 2.5 million troops. (Rosenthal, J. Z., Grosswald, S., Ross, R., & Rosenthal, N. 2011) The veteran population will face exclusive types of stressors

Compared to the average citizen, combat Veterans are diagnosed with PTSD at an elevated rate. Combat Veterans are four times more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD compared to the general population. With most Veterans being subjected to multiple deployments and increased traumatic events the number of combat Veterans has increased compared to past historical eras of war. More Veterans are returning from deployments and are trying to re-acclimate themselves within society but are drastically overwhelmed with the process and ill prepared to identify PTSD symptoms for what they are.

Post-traumatic stress disorder affects about 7.7 million Americans. Dr. Rothbaum in the article PTSD: A Growing Epidemic, states that of those 7.7 million Americans, about 31 percent of military men and women are affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (2009). Thousands of men and women in the military may have been shot at or they may have witnessed death. This is the reason why members of the military are at high risked for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (Rothbaum, 2009). Like most people affected with PTSD, members of the military develop PTSD from an ordeal involving physical harm or the threat of physical harm.

When people hear about someone acquiring PTSD, soldiers are usually the first people that come to mind. Considering that one in every eight soldiers develop PTSD after they return from deployment,

In 2004 Operation Iraqi Freedom became the deadliest American military conflict since the Vietnam War. Military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and Vietnam have brought heightened awareness of military related PTSD, as well as the relationship and family problems that accompany the disorder. Studies have shown that 11% - 20% of Veterans that served in Iraq and 6% - 11% of veterans that were deployed to Afghanistan have suffered from PTSD. Veterans of operation Desert Storm suffer at a rate of about 10% and Vietnam veteran estimates have been as high as 30% – 50%.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that is fairly common with individuals that have experienced trauma, especially war veterans. One in five war veterans that have done service in the Iraq or Afghanistan war are diagnosed with PTSD. My group decided to focus on PTSD in war veterans because it is still a controversial part of stressful circumstances that needs further discussion. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD amongst war veterans, which is 13.8%, has a higher percentage of the prevalence of PTSD in adult Americans, which is 7.8% (Tanielian & Jaycox, 2008). Veterans who return from combat are characterized as passively aggressive, physically abusive, and mostly unemployed or divorced (Prigerson, Maciejewskie, & Rosenheck, 2001). In addition to the general information regarding veterans and PTSD, there were also stressful situations that they encounter daily.

According to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, around five-to-20 per cent of veterans will experience PTSD at some point after they have completed their service.

-Approximately 11-20 out of 100 Veterans who participated in (OIF) Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (OEF) have PTSD in a set year.

According to a Tanielian and Jaycox (2008) study, as of September 2014 there were approximately 2.7 million American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars”. Of the 2.7 million at least 20% of the veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan wars obtained PTSD and/or depression. However, it was noted that when interviewed, the military counselors stated that they believe that the percentage rate of veterans with PTSD was much higher. The number is said to continue to increase when combined with traumatic brain injury (TBI).