Influences of Faith and Cultural Identity on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Prevalent in Somali Community - Coursework Example

PTSD is developed mostly among the people who experienced, witnessed, or confronted with a traumatic event. For example, many of the returning soldiers from the war fronts usually experience PTSD. The memories about the atrocities committed in the war may haunt them from time to time and the probability of the development of PTSD increases. People with PTSD usually face difficulties in sleeping, concentrating, and controlling their emotions. It would be difficult for PTSD victims to concentrate long on a particular activity.

They may wake up quite frequently while sleeping. For example, a soldier who kills the enemies mercilessly at the war fronts may face sleepless nights after his return from the war fronts. In the war front, duty consciousness is guiding the soldier. No humanitarian considerations will be there in front of him. On the other hand, after returning from the war fronts, humanitarian considerations may come into his thoughts. The struggle between the humanitarian thoughts and the atrocities committed in the war fronts may finally end up in the development of PTSD.

“Specific symptom clusters—especially avoidant symptoms—might be associated with the course of PTSD. In addition, the occurrence of new traumatic events differentiates PTSD cases with a chronic course from those with remission” (Perkonigg et al., 2005, p.1320). Heredity plays an important role in causing PTSD. In other words, the vulnerability towards PTSD is more among the children of parents who have this problem.Depression is another mental problem contributing to sleepless nights to millions of people all over the world.

It has the ability to affect all people irrespective of their age, gender, culture, or socioeconomic backgrounds. According to Klein, &Wender (2005, p.1), “somewhere between 10 and 30 percent depressives and manic depressives kill themselves”.