Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder has always been, and always will be an issue for soldiers until the
end of time. It cannot only affect the mind, but also the body in ways that
destroy you slowly, and could lead to suicide. This issue is not something to be
taken nonchalantly, and is something that everybody should know about. A major reason that you should know about
this disorder is, you may have a family member or friend that is serving or has
served in the armed forces and may have developed PTSD. This means that they
could be depressed, become abusive, abuse substances, or even have flashbacks
of being back overseas; this could be very dangerous to those around them who
do not know the symptoms or signs of PTSD. The symptoms vary from person to
person, and the list of symptoms seems never ending but this disorder can be
treated.
Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder is a chronic and disabling psychiatric disorder that may develop after
exposure to a traumatic incident. Military personnel are the most at risk for
experiencing traumatic events, so the development of PTSD would follow along
with that. This disorder causes many psychological
and emotional problems, and could eventually lead to physical problems such as abuse.
An estimated 7.8 percent of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in
their lives, a major reason why people should be educated on this
disorder. There is always that chance
that someone you know is a part of that 7.8 percent, and if you do not recognize
the symptoms early on, it could progressively become worse.
PTSD is a more common
disorder than you might think, especially in those who have experienced being
overseas serving for the armed forces. As stated previously around 7.8
Americans will experience PTSD. About 30
percent of the men and women who have served in war zones experience PTSD. In
addition to that, 20 to 25 percent more have had partial PTSD at some point in
their lives. About 3.6 percent of U.S. adults from ages 18 to 54, which is
about 5.2 million people, have PTSD during the course of a given year. This
shows how prevalent this disorder can be even in citizens who have not seen a
war zone. With this large of an amount of people it is the United States’
government’s responsibility to educate its citizens as well as its soldiers on
PTSD, so that they know what they are going to be dealing with should they or
someone they know experience it.
PTSD is a disorder that
can also lead to other disorders that differ between men and women. The
co-occurring disorders most predominantly found in men are alcohol abuse or dependence at 51.9 percent, major
depressive episodes at 47.9 percent, conduct disorders at 43.3 percent, and
drug abuse and dependence at 34.5 percent. The co-occurring disorders most
predominantly found in women are major depressive disorders at 48.5 percent,
simple phobias at 29 percent, social phobias at 28.4 percent, and alcohol abuse/dependence
at 27.9 percent. Headaches, gastrointestinal problems, immune system problems,
dizziness, chest pain, and discomfort in other parts of the body are also
common in people being affected by PTSD; often doctors treat these symptoms
without even realizing that they come from PTSD. If a medical doctor does not
even realize that these things are coming from PTSD, who has to say that a
person without a medical or psychological degree will? This is why people need
to be informed of PTSD so they can recognize it and help their loved ones get
treatment before their PTSD causes more issues in their lives.
People
that have heard of PTSD agree that it is a serious disorder and needs to be
recognized; out of a conducted survey, 100 percent rated it from an eight to a
nine on a scale of one to ten. A majority of people that took this survey also
had family members in the military, 30 percent of those people have experienced
some sort of PTSD at some point and 20-25 percent more has experienced some
sort of partial PTSD. They also agreed that the government should be
responsible for paying for the treatment of a soldier’s PTSD even after leaving
active duty. People that took this survey, however, did not know the effects of
PTSD, although they could pinpoint some of the main, most heard of symptoms.
This further proves that people should be educated on PTSD and its symptoms.
In a
recent study of U.S. Army brigade combat teams, a high percentage of soldiers
screening positive for PTSD and depression symptoms and also reported that
symptoms made it difficult to work, take care of things at home, or get along
with others. Studies have demonstrated that service members deployed for combat
duty in Iraq and Afghanistan are at higher risk for developing mental health
problems following their deployment at 17 percent compared to the 9 percent of
predeployment, and that mental health symptoms general increase following a
service members’ return home. Combat experience has been linked to an array of
negative health consequences, mostly PTSD.
PTSD
is a serious issue that not many know the effects of, when in all reality they
should. Headaches, gastrointestinal problems, immune system problems,
dizziness, chest pain, and discomfort in other parts of the body are also
common in people being affected by PTSD and often doctors treat these not
knowing that the source of them is PTSD. Around 7.8 percent of Americans will
experience PTSD in their life that is just how common it is. Imagine one of
them being a family member returning from over-seas (keep in mind that 30
percent of the men and women who have spent time in warzones experience PTSD,
and an additional 20 to 25 percent have had partial PTSD at some point). They
suffer from Headaches, gastrointestinal problems, immune system problems,
dizziness, chest pain and discomfort in other places, you take them to the
doctor and they treat them without checking to see if these symptoms have
stemmed from PTSD. Now your loved ones PTSD progresses, they start to have
flashbacks, nightmares, become depressed, rely on alcohol, become addicted to
it, and become abusive. This all happened because you were not educated enough
on PTSD to know that those are also symptoms of the disorder. That is exactly
why you should be educated on this disorder so you can spot in its early stages
before it progresses further into something that becomes out of control.
Works Cited
Huey,
Dillon. P.T.S.D: The Destruction of a Soldier. 2012. 5/19/2012
Military.com. n.d. 19
May 2012 <http://www.military.com/benefits/veterans-health-care/ptsd-frequently-asked-questions.html>.
Thomas, Jeffrey.
"Dispositional Optimism Buffers Combat Veterans from the Negative Effects
of Warzone Stress on Mental Health Symptoms and Work Impairment." Journal of Clinical Psychology(2011):
. Ebsco. Database. 19 May
2012.
\
