In August of 2010, I had the pleasure of meeting Patrick . Amongst the plethora of people milling about the meet and greet of the college circle we shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. Patrick had the face of someone who had seen more of the world than most of the 18 and 19-year-olds present and during the course of our conversation he told me that he had just returned from Afghanistan, a transfer from being a non-commissioned officer (NCM) member of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) to a student at the Royal Military College (RMC), intent on becoming an officer. For the next eight months, I was stationed with Patrick and a number of others like him who had transferred from being an NCM to officer by route of attending RMC. Many of them had seen recent active service in Afghanistan and some of them, including Patrick, were experiencing symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a psychological response to intense traumatic events, primarily those that are life threatening (Veterans Affairs, 2006 p.1). Although ancient in its idea PTSD was only recognized by the American …show more content…
3-7) These symptoms fall into the requirements of the DSM-IV-TR (text review) that defines the cause of PTSD as “the person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others. The person’s response involved intense fear, hopelessness or horror.” (McClay, 2012
In this particular article, five authors collaborated and discussed the recent innovations in the PTSD treatment field such as new technologies and family/spouse therapy, where veterans who are diagnosed go through therapy sessions with a family member or spouse instead of alone. This article is extremely credible because it has five authors that are all in the medical field.
The government sends the military off to fight wars. The cost of these wars are growing due to the medical treatment cost of taking care of the people that were sent off to fight for our country. Five percent of soldiers are diagnosed with PTSD, but since the Iraq and Afghanistan war that number has increased to eight percent. The number of people with PTSD went from 190,000 to about a half million.
Upon learning more about Rod and his deployment to Afghanistan, as well as learning about the symptoms that he presents with it was determined by the therapist to give the client the PTSD checklist military version (PCL-M). The PCL-M is a self-reportable measure that is compatible with the symptoms of PTSD outlined in the DSM-V (PTSD Check List-Military Version, 2012). There are 17 items in the PCL-M that have to do with distress from a trauma over the last month (PTSD Check List-Military Version, 2012). The PCL-M uses a five point Likert scale that ranges from 1 being not at all to 5 being extremely (PTSD Check List-Military Version, 2012). Another measure that can used includes the Structured Interview for PTSD (SI-PTSD) (Verstrael, Van
Every American soldier endured rigorous training to become the soldier they are today, but throughout all this training, there are a few things that a soldier can't simply learn. Training and development is treated as preparation for war situations, and much like ordinary grade school, they are tested to see how well each soldier does in each area (Huerta, 2014). Even after all this organizing and teaching, a soldier's mind is still just as human as it was before seeing action in battle. Once a soldier learns to control every situation imaginable, they are sent overseas to put all their training to use; but simulations can only get you so far. At some point, there is a moment when a
America the beautiful, land of the free, but at what cost is that freedom attained? Freedom is usually attained through war and suffering. Many soldiers lose their lives fighting for their country. Even though many returned physically healthy, some of the men and women are fighting a new battle on the home front of their own minds. Living with something as mentally tormenting as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is something many veterans have to deal with on a daily basis. Not only do these men and women have to deal with the regret of their own actions, but they have to deal with the horrible treatment of those around them. They are living a life of torture knowing there is no cure; however, some people have found natural and positive ways to treat the symptoms. Even though many skeptics believe this disorder doesn’t exist, tests have been run proving the nightmare is as deep as
The reason PTSD is so important and why we should care is because they interviewed hundred veterans, nineteen out of hundred veterans interviewed attempted to commit suicide,fifteen more interviewed have had suicide thoughts since the war,half of the soldiers who were reported with PTSD receive the care they need twenty to fifty percent of soldiers who are receiving for PTSD walk away before they are done with
Culturally, individuals belonging to the Hispanic population are more prone to develop PTSD, this often attributed to the fact that the individuals belonging to the Hispanic population are more likely to experiences trauma (Fierros and Smith, 2006). There are a few cultural characteristics among the Hispanic population that affect Jonie's abilities to cope with her PTSD. According to Fierros and Smith, socioculturally Hispanics support fatalistic beliefs (events are inevitable and beyond their control), have a tendency to normalize stress, and underreport distress, and have diminishing resources (2006).
Most of have heard the term Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. The Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs estimate that 7.8 percent of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. We commonly associate PTSD with soldiers who have fought in wars. About 30 percent of the men and women who have spent time in war zones experience PTSD. (Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs. (2007). No one is immune to it. Other traumatic events can also cause PTSD. The general knowledge required to understand PTSD include: The definition, possible causes, symptoms and current treatment options. Learning these you will be able to come up with a treatment plan to help your clients.
I find it troubling that our Soldier’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms are being discredited by the medical community. It appears as though there has been a shift in our commitment to the health of the men and women who served this nation. These ideas connect to the overall ideas of the unit because it provides greater insight on challenges that patients and medical professionals experience when coping with cognitive health concerns. I do not have any personal experience associated with PTSD; however, the problem that I find in this article is that it suggests the effects of trauma which causes PTSD can be measured by a universal criteria. For example, I believe this research should consider that each individual has a unique level of tolerance to trauma which may cause them to respond in varying degrees of severity. Additionally, a patient’s inability to accurately express their symptoms may play a major factor which is causing this disparity. I recommend that further research should be conducted to
PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a mental health condition that can occur after a person experiences a traumatic event such as disasters, assault or combat. This is an issue that many Veterans encounter while being involved in military duty. However, there is help available.
The title of my article is: The Impact of Addiction Medications on Treatment Outcomes for Persons With Co-Occurring PTSD and Opioid Use Disorders. The authors of this article are: Elizabeth C. Saunders, Mark P. McGovern, Chantal Lambert-Harris, Andrea Meier, Bethany McLeman, Haiyi Xie. This article appeared in: The American Journal on Addictions in 2015.
The symptoms of PTSD make every day civilian life difficult for many Veterans. The disorder can affect a person’s ability to work and interact with their environment and those around them.
"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs, 2007. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.
Seedat explains that “the disorder represents a pathological response to a traumatic event, characterized by symptoms of recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event (e.g. nightmares, a sense of reliving the experience with illusions, hallucinations, or dissociative flashback episodes, intense psychological or physiological distress at exposure to cues that resemble the traumatic event)” (Seedat, 2013). Seedat also states that other symptoms could be such things as avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma that you have experienced “(e.g. inability to recall important aspects of the trauma, loss of interest, estrangement from others)” (Seedat, 2013). Seedat mentions increased arousal as other PTSD symptom. This could include “(sleep disturbances, irritability, difficult concentrating, hypervigilance, and exaggerated startle response)” (Seedat, 2013). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) includes other symptoms that are characterized by cognition and mood of the individual. Seedat states that in order for an individual to be diagnosed
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that can occur after a traumatic event, such as a threat to life, serious injury, or sexual violence. Some people who experience these types of events may develop PTSD. Sometimes, PTSD can occur in people who hear about trauma that occurs to a close family member or friend. PTSD can happen to anyone at any age.