According to a study, 95% of Iraq veterans experience some kind of stress caused by war experiences (PTSD VA, 1). This stress can vary immensely. Vets can experience pain if they see any reminders of the war. The slightest reminder can cause severe pain. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the dysregulation of body and brain chemistry. PTSD has varied causes, which negatively impact the victim, his or her family, and the society in which the victim lives in; however, many treatments are available for the victim to ease the impact on his or her future. Americas heroes suffer from PTSD because of certain risk factors and experiences they may have. These factors stem from environmental, social, and genetic causes. PTSD is the dysregulation …show more content…
Although war veterans come home there are still ghosts of war that follow them long after. Veterans who suffer from PTSD endure three types of symptoms. The three types are tendency for recollection, intense emotional distress, and hyper arousal. Veterans will endure flashbacks, avoidance of activities, and irritability or hostility (Saperstein, 5). This leaves veterans in a lost state, in a constant search for their old self. Seeing your loved one in constant pain and confusion can take its toll on a family member. Family members can start to feel a void from the change in their loved one. They can start to experience depression and anxiety. A whole family can be ravaged from this disease. Having our veterans suffer from this disease can have a fatal impact on society. When veterans are impacted from PTSD it can lead to them committing acts of terror. A Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD assaulted people wearing black wristbands to support the Vietnamese that died in the war. PTSD can be a threat to society even if they don’t possess the disease. Not only does this disease change a person it can be a great harm to family and …show more content…
However due to many viable treatments there is great hope for the victims moving forward in their lives. PTSD victims can be triggered when they see reminders of their experience of war. As PTSD keeps ravaging the lives of the victims it will draw more and more attention to not only the risks at war, but also the awful trauma vets go through after combat. When this becomes known it will become even more important to fight PTSD, because if we don’t people will question going into the military even more and the result could be
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Show MorePTSD is an anxiety disorder that follows the experience of a traumatic event. Of the 2.7 million American veterans that served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, at least 20% were diagnosed with PTSD (Veterans Statistics). PTSD affects everyone differently but the most common symptoms of PTSD include: reliving the event, increased anxiety, and avoiding any reminders of the trauma (Robinson,Segal, Smith). These symptoms negatively affect their life
Throughout the history of the world’s conflict, soldiers have suffered in a multitude of ways. On the battlefields of the American Civil War, both Union and Confederate soldiers witnessed gruesome wounds. In the trenches of World War I, chemical warfare was a constant threat, and a very dangerous one, at that. Most recently, in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran, warriors and civilians alike fell victim to a kind of guerilla warfare never before seen; suicide bombings. This was in conjunction with the use of weapons such as landmines that terrorized cities for years after conflict ended.
As a result of this, many of those held in captivity suffered from PTSD during their postwar lives. Some had their lives ruined by the recurring memories of their terrible experiences. Some were able to find treatment and overcome their condition. Some, like Louis Zamperini, suffered for years, but were finally able to conquer PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder is an issue that must be addressed, as it is capable of devastating a person who has risk their own life in order to save those of
They see things we could never imagine which can alter their reality and way of thinking. PTSD is very real and very common in our soldiers. Another reason war is
The condition makes it extremely likely for them to lash out in fear, anger, or other strong emotions. If they sleep with the victim, they may be affected by the lack of sleep the victim is due to the severe night terrors that they have. A victim’s children may also be affected by ptsd, as the experience of watching a parent or guardian lash out, lose themselves, or act of sheer terror will affect the view of the parent, which can lead to strained relationships, subconscious resentment, and overall fear of their caretakers. “Numbness”, or inability to feel emotions is a major symptom of ptsd that can affect family members and caretakers. If a person is unable to be emotionally careful, responsive, or responsible, their mental state will become severely worse.
Treating PTSD has several dynamics that need to be considered when a Veteran is seeking treatment. The process would be in recognizing three main components: medical factors, personal factors and social factors. “Medical factors are represented by the quality of service provided by the healthcare system, the medical providers performance, advancements made in treatments, and timely response to needs of the patient.” (Ghaff) Personal factors are going to depend on the patient and their “willingness to receive care and their compliance with treatments.”
Society and the legal system need to be more vigilant in our understanding of what triggers PTSD. Veterans that are unable to be restored back into society should be placed where they can live their lives comfortably with limited interaction within regular society. Veterans scarified and often paid with their lives to serve for their country and their country should display more appreciation. If U.S. legal system feels it’s too expensive to properly care for our veterans than we should stop instigating fights that lead to war. Secondly, we claim not to have money for veterans and veterans’ healthcare but billions of dollars are spent on funding wars, and the Republicans support millionaires instead of supporting the military veterans.
“The murder American Sniper author Chris Kyle at a Texas gun range by a fellow vet said to be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has restarted a national conversation about PTSD and raised questions about whether the government is doing enough to identify and treat those suffering from the condition,” (Moran). American Sniper is evidence that those who suffer from PTSD are not treated properly and do indeed are capable not only harming others and or themselves while experiencing their “flashbacks” or symptoms. If those who experience trauma from the previous wars they had served in end up killing or being violent the government has not taken action enough and fixed the recurring issue in their veterans. Many people, including the media, were starting to take into account that the government had not identified those who needed treatment. “The issue with the government’s response to PTSD today is that, but simply, the problem is bigger than anyone imagined a few years ago and potentially as large as the number of PTSD cases for Vietnam vets.
PTSD is a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury or severe psychological shock. Veterans who have suffered service related injuries are four times more likely to develop PTSD than those who have not been injured. Experiencing a terrifying event, whether it happens to them, or they witness it happening to someone else, can cause PTSD (NIMH). It makes the traumatized person feel frightened, sad, anxious, and disconnected. Developing PTSD can also make them feel endangered
PTSD is an illness that cannot be easily healed. The symptoms include: Nightmares, flashbacks, triggers, hard time sleeping, difficulty concentrating, you could also be easily startled. There are many situations that you would make you angry, or upset. If you were close to death in a Vietcong dug hole, you may hate being in small places, avoiding them at all costs becoming claustrophobic. This disorder often times does not end up being healed and is something you have to deal with for the rest of your
A constant watch over mental health issues of all military servicemen and women has gone under the radar in the past few years due to a lack of knowing how unrecognizable the problem just might be. The magnitude of this problem is enormous. A recent report finds that the estimates of PTSD range from 4 to 45 percent for those soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (Cesur, Sabia & Tekin, 2012). Research suggested that other serious medical issues are likely to accompany the PTSD diagnosis, such as cardiovascular disease, and chronic pain (Frayne, et al, 2010). Compiling mental health issues, physical ailments along with family reintegration can prove overwhelming for a returning veteran.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in The Things They Carried During the turbulent times of the Vietnam War, thousands of young men entered the warzone and came face-to-face with unimaginable scenes of death, destruction, and turmoil. While some perished in the dense Asian jungles, others returned to American soil and were forced to confront their lingering combat trauma. Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried provides distinct instances of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and reveals the psychological trauma felt by soldiers in the Vietnam War. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD for short, is the most common mental illness affecting soldiers both on and off the battlefield.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is a mental disorder that most often develops after a veteran experiences a traumatic event. While having this illness, the veteran believes their lives are in danger. They also may feel afraid or feel they have no control over what is happening. If their feeling does not go away, the symptoms may disrupt the person 's life, making it hard to continue daily activities.
PTSD is an illness that develops after a person has become aware of the trauma that occurred. PTSD is characterized by twenty symptoms found in four clusters according to the most recent DSM-5, which is a stressor. PTSD is characterized by intrusions, avoidance, negative cognitive changes, and mood changes. Post-traumatic stress disorder, commonly referred to as PTSD, is one of the most prevalent psychological disorders among military personnel. Arousal and inflammation are also symptoms of PTSD.