A Different World : Life For Veterans With Ptsd

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can certainly have a negative effect on a returning service member’s life. Approximately 30% of people who have been in war zones develop PTSD. The rates of PTSD for veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are conservatively estimated to be 11% and 18% respectively, with a higher rate for veterans of the war in Iraq because of greater combat exposure (Collie, 2006, p.1). Because of the debilitating affect of the disorder many veterans are trapped in this endless seeming cycle agony and helplessness. Individuals with PTSD describe years of declining invitations to social and family events to avoid anxiety and anger. In extreme cases, individuals endorse fear and discomfort about leaving the house at all, which they characterize as shameful and demoralizing. Thus, many individuals with PTSD perceive themselves as trapped in a cycle that reinforces avoidance of situations, which may trigger anxiety and depression (Smyth, 2007, p.1).

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

Brian Albrecht, in his article "Families share the pain of veterans' PTSD" (2013), informs the reader of the effects of ptsd war veterans on their family, children and spouses that may cause higher levels in stress and anxiety. Brian supports his assertion by providing the reader with factual evidence of PTSD war veterans from credible resources, such as "This ‘secondary PTSD’ can include distress, depression and anxiety, said the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD" ( Albrecht). The purpose of this article is to inform the reader of the negative effects that ptsd war veterans may inflict in their family and children, in order to treat and prevent higher levels of stress and anxiety throughout the family. The authors creates

I can use this article in my essay because it provides 5 separate viewpoints which will give me non-bias information. It will also be useful because it describes another alternative to PTSD other than being treated medicinally.

Veterans make up seven percent of the American population, but they account for twenty percent of its suicides. Yes, that is indeed a real statistic, more importantly, what is the government, the people that ordered those men and women deliberately into harm’s way, doing about this tragedy. In light of recent conflicts the United States has been engaging in, such as the conflicts in the Middle East, a new silent killer of returning veterans, has become more visible to the public. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, has taken its toll recently on Veterans returning from the harsh

Why Veterans With PTSD Are Turning To Cannabis is an online news article found in The Establishment and written by Kit O’Connell in 2016. In the article, O’Connell recalls various interviews with people who have been affected by veterans’ cannabis use to help cope with PTSD. Sue Sisley is a member of an organization taking part in the first government-funded study on cannabis as a treatment for PTSD. She was extremely against marijuana use and refused to believe in its medicinal benefits, however after working at a Veterans Affairs clinic and hearing veterans’ experiences with the substance, feels that she is required to become an activist for medicinal cannabis use for veterans with PTSD. She brings up society’s progressing awareness of

In today 's society, there is a great deal of research and practice about evidence based practice. Most of this is highly sought upon in the field of psychology, where evidence and decision making is key to accomplishing new ideas of treatments for people who retain psychiatric problems. The meaning of evidence-based practice in psychology is that it involves making very educated and supported decisions based on punctilious, unambiguous, and astute evidence (Rousseau & Gunia, 2016). With evidence-based practice, it assists in raising and deriving the issue of what evidence really is, the strength of the evidence, and how practitioners can improve the quality of their evidence (Rousseau & Gunia, 2016). Evidence is a major factor because it may either enhance or hinder the practitioner 's ability to make decisions and construct their practices on patients (Rousseau & Gunia, 2016). Evidence-based practice began in the 1980 's with the goal to combine the practices of scientific evidence with physician education and clinical practice. The issue with this was that medical schools did not have the ability to teach their own specific approaches to clinical problems (Rousseau & Gunia, 2016). As an effect to this cause, three main issues quickly arose about the effectiveness and quality of evidence-based practice. First, since other fields were advancing growth in

As the Vietnam War began preventative measures were being taken to decrease the psychological impact of war on soldiers. Unfortunately as the war ended soldiers were often met with hostile demonstrations by anti-war activists and society offered little acceptance of Vietnam veterans even years after the war. This is when early studies on PTSD and the effects on military families began being documented. Early research showed that PTSD can have devastating, far-reaching consequences on the patients functioning, relationships,

PTSD has become almost romanticized in a way. It’s become this conversation piece that adds credibility and validity to a veteran’s service. It’s become a sign to stick in your yard on the 4th of July. It’s become an excuse for just about everything these days and that means the impact of PTSD is being watered down. It’s the age old “Boy Who Cried Wolf” adage,” writes an author on OAF Nation.

To effectively treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD in combat Veterans and service members, therapists use different techniques, which are preceded by addressing any underlying pain associated with the disorder. In their research, Chard et al. (2011) reported significant modifications to the CPT protocol for use with patients in a TBI-PTSD residential treatment facility, including increasing the number of sessions per week, combining group and individual therapy, and augmenting the treatment with cognitive rehabilitation. However, their research was marred with the use of few participants which provides doubts regarding the outcome of the proposed treatment procedures. Moreover, the researchers do not state with certainty as to the

Iraq or Afghanistan and 50% of these veterans are diagnosed with PTSD (Brozak, 2013). People are diagnosed with PTSD after going through a severely traumatic experience and it can have a long-lasting negative effects.

As this paper will reflect, PTSD has both short and long term consequences and reaches far beyond those who have the disorder. Emotionally and financially, PTSD affects all of our lives in some form, whether from being exposed to the symptoms of a friend or loved one to the financial burden the disorder places on our society to treat those with the disorder.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder affects 40 million adults age 18 and over, and has many different symptoms; these include, but are not limited to: nightmares, flashbacks, irritability, depression, emotional instability, insomnia, and poor concentration. Stress disorders occur when someone experiences stress outside the realm of normal experience for adults and children, furthermore, causes of PTSD stem from experiences or the witnessing of a life changing event such as; military combat, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, serious accidents, physical and/or sexual abuse. Many folks suffer through the disorder, often unaware that such events would leave them with a possible debilitating disorder if left untreated, thus by being aware of the causes

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

The article relates to the wide range of situations that can cause PTSD and to how people need to direct their attention toward familiarizing themselves with the disorder's symptoms and seriousness before attempting to deal with it.