Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from War - Speech or Presentation Example

?Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from War Introduction Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common psychological disorders in people in general and in the soldiers returning from war in particular. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines PTSD as [A]n anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, such as terrorist attacks, motor vehicle accidents, rape, physical and sexual abuse, and other crimes, or military combat. (APA, 2012). PTSD is a medical condition in which the brain shows sustained nervousness over a long period of time that was initially instigated by a trauma experienced at an earlier point in time. Human brain has the tendency to react by keeping itself hyperalert and staying overdrive for the possible encounter with trauma in the future. Patients of PTSD have flashbacks of the traumatic event and cannot get over the memories of the trauma, even if it took place years ago. The resulting feeling is a combination of irritation, fear, anxiety, and numbness to escape which, the patients of PTSD tend to avoid situations that might revive the memories of the traumatic event of the past. Causes of PTSD PTSD is not an uncommon condition in the USA. According to eMedicineHealth (2012), 60 per cent of the men in the USA encounter a traumatic experience enough to cause PTSD at least once in the lifetime whereas the percentage of women who experience such events is 50. PTSD can occur because of a wide array of reasons. For the veterans, most of the reasons are related to the war. “Most people associate PTSD with battle-scarred soldiers—and military combat is the most common cause in men—but any overwhelming life experience can trigger PTSD, especially if the event feels unpredictable and uncontrollable” (Smith and Segal, 2012). Psychological studies that included the soldiers returned from war helped in the diagnosis of PTSD. Owing to the massive role of war in causing PTSD in the soldiers, the condition was originally termed as the “shell shock syndrome” (eMedicineHealth, 2012). To suffer from PTSD, an individual may not necessarily have played an active role in the traumatic event. The mere presence of the individual at the event and witnessing of the trauma can be reasons enough to cause PTSD. This is the fundamental reason why many professionals engaged in jobs in which trauma is an inherent feature of the daily work develop PTSD. Such jobs can be the job of a guardian in a jail, the job of a military officer, or even the job of a military doctor who has conducted surgeries of the injured soldiers. For a considerable population of the retired soldiers suffering from PTSD, the traumatic event can be traced back to their days of service in the military when they were bullied by their senior officers. Some might even have experienced sexual abuse while serving in the military. The guilt incorporated in the victim’s conscience may cause PTSD at a later stage. Sometimes, serious medical illnesses can cause PTSD in the patient. Such illnesses include but are not limited to cancer, AIDS, and bone-lengthening surgery. Bruises and injuries gained in the battle-field can have a traumatizing effect on the soldiers even after their recovery. In addition to that, guilt is a very important cause of PTSD in the veterans. In the hustle and bustle of the battlefield, it is not very easy for the soldiers to make sure that only the right people are targeted. Many a times, a soldier in the battlefield shoots somebody that he had least wanted to. This inculcates a feeling of guilt in the soldier that stays with him for the rest of his life as the assassinated individual cannot be brought back to life. Besides, there is a considerable population of soldiers who are in the battlefield just because their job as a soldier requires them to. They do not personally approve of the way the war against terrorism is being conducted. Everyday, they see many innocent people killed in the war against terrorism and the resulting guilt causes them to acquire PTSD. Triggers of PTSD Triggers of PTSD can be all around an individual. One misconception about the triggers of PTSD is that they “come out-of-the-blue” (Tull, 2008), whereas the fact is that spontaneous occurrence of the PTSD symptoms is rare. The triggers of PTSD can be broadly classified into two types; external triggers and internal triggers as the PTSD symptoms can trigger by something in the external or the interval environment or both. The way an individual feels and what he/she thinks are factors in the internal environment that can trigger the symptoms of PTSD. Internal triggers of PTSD include but are not limited to the feeling of abandonment, loneliness, the feeling of lack of control over one’s feelings and senses, racing heart beat, traumatic memories, anxiety, sadness, anger, fear, and frustration. Factors like stressful situations and accidents make part of the external environment, and can cue the symptoms of PTSD. Other factors related to the external environment that can trigger PTSD include an argument, witnessing an accident, an anniversary, certain kinds of smells, a show on the television that resembles the traumatic event or is a rendition of it, coming across someone whose facial or bodily features resemble someone related to the traumatic event, and a broken relationship. “A loud noise, like a car backfire, can send some war veterans into a cataleptic condition. In some cases this is characterized by a suspension of sensation. Muscles might freeze and become rigid causing them to fixate in some catatonic posture” (Evans, 2010). A drop of blood is a powerful source of trigger for a patient of PTSD. Even a very small cut in the finger caused by the blade of a knife while cutting a fruit can totally change the individual’s mood for the worse as it brings back the memories of blood-shed during the war. The more sensitive the individual is, the more prone he/she is to the risk of PTSD. Damages of PTSD Damages of PTSD are numerous. It has very negative implications on the patient’s private and social life as well as career. Depression and anxiety is the most common consequence of PTSD that is experienced by the patients. While most of the times the patients can identify the link between the trigger of PTSD and the traumatic event of the past, sometimes the patients do not even objectively know the cause of their depression. A gloomy feeling overpowers them all day long. They tend to find escape in sleep but the terrible dreams can turn that attempt into a nightmare. Patients of PTSD tend to avoid the situations that can trigger depression. In an attempt to do so, they avoid indulging in arguments with others, they miss out birthdays and anniversaries, they do not show up publicly very often, and retrain themselves to the boundaries of their residence or more particularly, their rooms. Persistence in this behavior isolates the patients from the society and puts them into social exclusion. Patients of PTSD suffer from low morale and low self-esteem. This causes them to underestimate themselves in every matter. They are reluctant to develop new relationships or engage in new businesses because of the overpowering feeling that they would not be able to make it. It is particularly very hard for the patients of PTSD to have faith in their love and the confidence that they need to take care of their partner, which leads their relationships to the point of breakage. Many patients of PTSD tend to seek refuge in drugs and narcotics as they provide them with temporary relief from depression. Patients of PTSD are at a very high risk of alcoholism and substance abuse (MedicineNet.com, 2012, p. 2). One of the veterans who suffered from PTSD because of traumatic Iraq war experience said shared his views about the effectiveness of marijuana in suppressing the triggers of PTSD, “My doctors shunned me and didn't approve of me doing it. One doctor said I could get some repercussions for doing it. But I did it legally. And I know for a fact — I'm a walking testimonial — that it works” (Herrera cited in Sanchez, 2012). For the patients of PTSD, there is little charm left in life. In extreme situations, the patients of PTSD commit suicide to get rid of the recurring feelings of guilt, depression, and anxiety once and for all. This has many negative repercussions for the friends and family of the patient, and is one of the ways in which the damages of PTSD extend beyond the very patient suffering from it. People related to the patient of PTSD are no less affected by this condition. They have to take care of the patient and tolerate the sudden and unexpected outbursts of anger caused by upsets in the emotional and psychological state of the patient. “Family members may feel hurt, alienated, or discouraged because your loved one has not been able to overcome the effects of the trauma. Family members frequently devote themselves totally to those they care for and, in the process, neglect their own needs” (ptsd.va.gov, 2010). This causes disruptions in the personal and social life of the family members as well. Coping with the Triggers of PTSD The best way to deal with the triggers of PTSD is to avoid them completely. However, avoiding the triggers of PTSD is almost impossible since an individual’s emotions, senses, and thoughts occur involuntarily and the individual has little control over them. While people may control the external triggers to a certain extent by avoiding going to places or being in situations that they know have triggered the symptoms of PTSD in them in the past, but there is hardly anything that they can do to control the internal triggers of the PTSD symptoms. Lack of the ability to avoid the triggers of PTSD imparts the need to learn appropriate ways of coping with them. There are numerous healthy strategies of coping with the triggers of PTSD that have proven effective for many patients of PTSD and can significantly reduce the impact of the triggers on the patients. Some of the most effective coping strategies include relaxation, grounding, mindfulness, social support, self-soothing, deep breathing, and expressive writing. In the United States, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs looks after the social and clinical needs of the patients of PTSD who have served in the military in the past. They develop various programs to suggest the treatment options and forums e.g. AboutFace (ptsd.va.gov, 2012) where veterans in similar conditions of psychological distress can exchange stories, views, and feelings with one another so that they can feel lighter. These platforms serve as immense sources of help for the veterans suffering from PTSD since they can access information about how to diagnose PTSD, which organizations to approach for intervention and assistance, and how to deal with their condition. In addition to that, a lot of research is being conducted to identify new ways of treating the patients of PTSD. Currently, a research is being conducted is being “coordinated between the Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs and the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida, [and] is taking that next step in finding another way for veterans to find and maintain long term recovery” (Newman, 2011). The researchers are hopeful that the results of this study will benefit the veterans because of the development of a link between them and the service dogs in the process of recovering from the PTSD. Personal will and determination of the patient of PTSD is a fundamental essential of finding a way out. Knowing that one is suffering from PTSD is the first step towards relief from the condition as only then, one can gain information about and practice all the strategies and take measures that have proven effective for the treatment of PTSD. References: American Psychological Association. (2012). The Effects of Trauma Do Not Have to Last a Lifetime. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/research/action/ptsd.aspx. eMedicineHealth. (2012). Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Retrieved from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/post-traumatic_stress_disorder_ptsd/article_em.htm. Evans, D. (2010, Dec. 22). Dogs Help Veterans With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Retrieved from http://suite101.com/article/dogs-help-veterans-with-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-a319924. MedicineNet.com. (2012). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/posttraumatic_stress_disorder/page2.htm. Newman, L. (2011, July 21). Study Measures Benefits of Service Dogs on Veterans with PTSD, Open For Participants. Retrieved from http://www.vabenefitblog.com/study-measures-benefits-of-service-dogs-on-veterans-with-ptsd-open-for-participants/. Sanchez, Y. W. (2012, July 7). Military veterans say pot eases PTSD. USA TODAY. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2012-06-05/military-veterans-medical-marijuana/55395138/1. Smith, M., and Segal, J. (2012, June). Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/post_traumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm. Tull, M. (2008). How to Identify and Cope with Your PTSD Triggers. Retrieved from http://ptsd.about.com/od/selfhelp/a/CopingTriggers.htm. ptsd.va.gov. (2010). Effects of PTSD on Family. United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/effects-ptsd-family.asp. ptsd.va.gov. (2012). AboutFace. Retrieved from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/about_face.html. Read More