Ptsd in Soldiers
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, today I am here to speak to you about domestic violence, murder, self-inflicted injury and suicide. These are just a few unfortunate outcomes of posttraumatic stress disorder among war veterans. Paranoia, hopelessness, depression, impulsiveness and recklessness are symptoms that are present in many soldiers returning from war (NIMH, n.d.). Upon reintegration into society, both female and male marines and soldiers often feel detached and have problems showing intimacy, compassion, and even having sex. Studies conducted by the U.S Defense Department and the New England Journal of Medicine report similar findings, which state that 1 in 6 soldiers and marines return from Iraq with symptoms of PTSD. Less than 40% of these soldiers look for help, in fear of losing their military positions (Hoge et al., 2004).
Posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD causes its victims to feel frightened, worried and stressed in normal situations in which an unaffected person would feel comfortable. It is a mental disorder caused by the occurrence of a traumatic event, either to the victim or to the victim’s loved one (NIMH, n.d.). War veterans are only one type of victim of this disorder but they have been the cause of much study on this matter. Throughout the past century, awareness and acceptance of PTSD has risen in militaries around the world. The disorder has evolved from being called at its earliest discovery the Swiss disease, then the railway spine, in the 19th century; traumatic hysteria and traumatic neurasthenia, later on; shell shock, and during and post-WWII, combat fatigue. Not until the Vietnam War, was the term PTSD globally accepted and treated as a legitimate mental disorder. Today’s efforts in detection and early treatment of the disorder have come at the cost of much skepticism inflicted on many victims in the past.
Since then, organizations such as the United States Department of Veteran Affairs have been focusing on providing
Posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD causes its victims to feel frightened, worried and stressed in normal situations in which an unaffected person would feel comfortable. It is a mental disorder caused by the occurrence of a traumatic event, either to the victim or to the victim’s loved one (NIMH, n.d.). War veterans are only one type of victim of this disorder but they have been the cause of much study on this matter. Throughout the past century, awareness and acceptance of PTSD has risen in militaries around the world. The disorder has evolved from being called at its earliest discovery the Swiss disease, then the railway spine, in the 19th century; traumatic hysteria and traumatic neurasthenia, later on; shell shock, and during and post-WWII, combat fatigue. Not until the Vietnam War, was the term PTSD globally accepted and treated as a legitimate mental disorder. Today’s efforts in detection and early treatment of the disorder have come at the cost of much skepticism inflicted on many victims in the past.
Since then, organizations such as the United States Department of Veteran Affairs have been focusing on providing