Essay About Kind Of A Future And Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
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The definition for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder given by the Websters
New
World College Dictionary is, “a condition characterized by recurring and,
often, disabling
symptoms of anxiety, depression, etc., that later affects some persons who
have
experienced a traumatic event or situation, especially combat.”
PTSD was first named Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome after the war because
symptoms did not seem to appear for years, even decades (Arpey). After the
symptoms
actually did start showing up and making an impact on society, the government
started to
be concerned. They started doing extensive research on the syndrome and then
went
further to name it a disorder (Arpey).
PTSD can occur in anyone– no matter what the age, as long as they have been
through a traumatic experience. Many common disasters that bring on PTSD are
rapes,
floods, abductions, airplane crashes, and hostage situations (Morrison 269).
Also,
children that have undergone sexual abuse are likely to suffer from it
(Morrison 269). It
seems, however, that survivors of combat are the most frequent victims
(Morrison 269).
It is more likely for a younger adult to acquire PTSD than for someone that
older(Morrison 269). This could be why such an apparent outbreak of PTSD
occurred
after the Vietnam War. After all, the average age of a soldier drafted to
Vietnam was
nineteen.
Some of the symptoms that occur with PTSD are: difficulty falling asleep
or staying asleep, irritability or outbursts of anger, difficulty
concentrating, hypervigilance,
and exaggerated startle response (Frances 428). The PTSD sufferer often goes
through
re–experiencing of the event or events that have traumatized he or she
(Frances 428). It
can occur in many different ways, although the person goes through much
avoidance and
self– denial of the subject.
Many sufferers have extensive personal problems in their lives while dealing
with
PTSD. Right after the event, the person often experiences “psychic numbing”,
which is a
large disinterest to the outside world (Frances 425). Much of the time, the
person stops
participating in activities that they once enjoyed, and start to feel
detached from people
that they once felt strong emotions toward (Frances 425). They seem to have a
problem
with intimacy, affection, and sexuality (Frances 425). The problem is, like
everything else,
they do not care about it anymore. Often times, the individual can not
foresee themselves
having any kind of a future such as a marriage, children, or a career. They
even believe
that they will have a shortened life span (Frances 425).
Much of PTSD trauma is brought on by guilt. The feeling that, “I should
have
done something to save them”, or “It should have been me, not him”,
occur in the
sufferers (Frances 425). It is difficult for these people to deal with the
fact that they
survived and someone that they cared about had to die. This is one of the
main reasons
that PTSD sufferers have a problem getting too close to anyone while dealing
with all of
these emotions. They fear that they will be put in a similar situation that
would resemble
what happened to them in Vietnam. It is imperative for them to avoid these
situations and
thoughts at all costs. (Frances 425).
PTSD brings a lot of pain and suffering upon Vietnam veterans and their
families,
but the good news is that there is help for them. Therapists have studied
many PTSD
patients and found different helpful approaches to use (Friedman). Some of
the most
common therapeutic treatments are: Psychodynamic