Today’s Soldier: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay

Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one

Post-traumatic stress disorder (commonly referred to as PTSD) is one of the most common, consequential and perilous illnesses a soldier returning home can face. Yet, here

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.

With the traumatic events causing PTSD come the reactions people will experience after a traumatic event. Nightmares associated with the incident, flashbacks, problems with sleep, and being jumpy are just some of the reactions people will have associated with their incident. The reactions will vary from one person to another and may not even be noticed until several months after a person returns from war. "Some go through a

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or seeing a terrifying event. PTSD and depression are the two most common mental health problems faced by returning troops. “In about 11 to 20% of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.. Have been diagnosed with PTSD,” (War Casualties). War obviously takes a toll on veterans in numerous ways. Varying from physically to mentally. Not all of them develop problems but a noticeable amount have been diagnosed. There are veterans or active duty soldiers that return home who don’t seek treatment due to the fact they feel alone. PTSD can be life threatening if it is not treated. Returning home and trying to adjust to

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

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

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a deeper mental problem than being anxious and jumpy. Veterans who have PTSD lose themselves as people. PTSD is one of the most common health issues among military personnel who served in a combat zone. When families have a loved one serving in combat zones, they fear that their soldier may not return home or will have a serious physical injury. But unlike the feared physical injuries, PTSD is not a visible wound, it is an injury of the mind. The PTSD will take a part of their loved one away, the veteran will not be at emotional or social. This disorder is an incurable mental condition caused by a traumatic event or events in person’s life. The soldiers who have PTSD have no way to get rid of

Our country’s soldiers protect us at all costs despite the danger that it places them in. They’re placed under constant stress and exposed to situations that the average person wouldn’t experience during their lifetime. While some soldiers may come out of combat physically unscathed, their risk of being affected by the time that they served does not simply disappear once they take off their uniforms. Due to the traumatic experiences that soldiers are exposed to they often suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Posttraumatic stress disorder is a condition triggered by a traumatic event specifically for veterans, combat exposure.

Some experiences, like the sudden, unexpected death of a loved one, can also cause PTSD. Symptoms usually begin early, within 3 months of the traumatic incident, but sometimes they begin years afterward. To be diagnosed with PTSD, a person must have at least one reexperiencing symptom, one avoidance symptom, two arousal and reactivity symptoms, or two cognition and mood symptoms. A few examples of re-experiencing symptoms would include flashbacks, bad dreams, and frightening thoughts. These symptoms can start from the person’s own thoughts and feelings and may cause problems in a person’s everyday routine. Signs of avoidance symptoms could be staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the experience, and avoiding thoughts or feelings related to the traumatic event. For example, if someone were to witness or be involved in the event of a robbery, they might try to stay away from that store because they don’t want to have to be reminded of the memory. Arousal and reactivity symptoms include being easily startled, feeling tense or “on edge,” having difficulty sleeping, and having angry outbursts. These symptoms will constantly remind the person of the event, and may make it hard for them to sleep, eat, or concentrate during their daily life. Cognition and mood symptoms can make the person feel alienated or detached from friends or family members. They can cause people to lose interest in

In the last twenty years post-traumatic stress disorder has increased dramatically. Even though In the last twenty years the GI bill has been lifted causing many people to be in the military for different reasons, post-traumatic stress disorder has gone up since 2007 because military personnel has been sent into combat zones. Basic training has been changed slightly to a more group oriented type of training that involves group and friendships. A lack of diagnoses is also another huge factor of the growing numbers of post-traumatic stress disorder. Many military personnel are being deployed more than once. Many active duty military personnel are being deployed for three or four tours.

Sexual assault in the military against women is a very real and serious issue in the military. Sexual assault is more likely to cause PTSD than any other events throughout a woman’s lifetime. Not every woman who experiences traumatic events develop PTSD but preexisting factors can increase chances of developing PTSD. Some factors may include: “Having a past mental health problem (for example depression or anxiety), experienced a very severe or life-threatening trauma, were sexually assaulted, were injured during the event, had a severe reaction at the time of the event, Experienced other stressful events afterwards, do not have good social support” (Veteran Affairs). For women, PTSD symptoms are different than what men experience. Women compared

There are three primary categories of PTSD symptoms. They are hyper-arousal, re-experience and numbing. The symptom of hyper-arousal includes anger, irritability, sleeplessness, anxiety, and panic. This is the symptom that most people think of when they are exposed to PTSD sufferers. Re-experience is commonly known as flashbacks, but it can also include intrusive but seemingly real memories and nightmares. Numbing is a feeling of detachment and disconnection. The disconnection can be from feelings, loss of interest in life, and interactions with their personal circle or people in general. Withdrawal, depression and estrangement from family and friends are key tell-tell signs in defining characteristics of this symptom.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder also known as PTSD. PTSD affects 31% of Vietnam veterans, 11% of afghanistan veterans, 10% of the Gulf veterans, and 20% of Iraq veterans. Most PTSD sufferers have triggers that cause them to repeatedly relive the traumatizing events that happened in war. Things like being shot, witnessing a friend's death, or just seeing death up close can all cause PTSD.

Posttraumatic stress disorder is a health problem happening to people who have a near death experience or a life altering event. (http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/what-is-ptsd.asp) People suffering from PTSD often go through a wide range of symptoms and they are often different for everyone. Some of the symptoms associated with PTSD include nightmares, guilt, and trouble focusing or sleeping. Many people also try avoiding situations they believe will cause them to remember traumatic situations and events. An important fact is that PTSD can happen to anyone experiencing a traumatic event and getting PTSD is not a sign of mental weakness. Research has indicated that the