...CRIS 304 Module 1 Signs & Symptoms of PTSD Dr. Michael Lyles People who experience PTSD, they do not remember, they literally relive what they are going through. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – An anxiety disorder that occurs after exposure to a traumatic event, which triggers memories of the traumatic event and is characterized by intense fear, helplessness, and horror. 25-30% of victims of significant (extreme or severe) trauma develop PTSD. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD in this country is about 8%. That accounts for about 5 million adults. That is a lot of people and unfortunately, we do not pay a lot of attention to these people. We don’t think about them enough in our clinical settings. In fact, these people utilize a number of medical services. It is estimated that about 11.8% of person’s going to family care, in primary care settings, may have people with PTSD, but it’s not something that we think about and recognize in primary or specialty health care settings enough. It’s estimated that up to 50% of combat exposed military personnel have some form of PTSD. It occurs 2x as common in women, particularly because of the impact of sexual trauma on women. What is a trauma? Trauma can occur from: Witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event Trying to help someone with a traumatic event Rescue workers Clergy person Therapist The risk for developing PTSD varies depending on the severity and duration of the trauma and how the trauma was experienced...
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...Finally, chapter 5 (Adsit, 2008) grief is a natural part of trauma. It allows for the people to process their emotional and psychological loss to the traumatic event that occurred, when a person chooses to not deal with grief it can affect the physical body. The author (Adsit, 2008) looks the steps for processing grief: shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, looking for realistic solutions to why, and acceptance. Part of processing grief is allowing for a person to mourn their loss, helping process through anger by helping them realize they are not alone, that they do not have to bear the burden alone, and that it is okay for them to be...
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...Reflection on Understanding and Treating PTSD Xxxxxxx xxxxxx EmpireState College I have read and am aware of the university requirements regarding academic honesty Instructor: Bernard Wakely December 21, 2012 Introduction What is now known as Posttraumatic Syndrome Disorder has a long history and list of names. It has been suggested that Homer form the Odysseus described symptoms of PTSD upon his return from the Trojan War. More recently it has been given many names. During the civil war it came to be known as Soldiers heart. During WWI it became known as “shell shock” and “war neurosis”, changing again during WWII to “battle fatigue” and ‘combat neurosis”. During this war the condition was so severe during this war psychiatric discharged soldier outnumbered new recruits. The name once again morphed during the Vietnam War to “post-Vietnam syndrome” and finally settling to its current moniker Posttraumatic syndrome disorder. Despite the many name changes one thing has remained constant and that is the condition causes suffering Over View Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is an anxiety disorder that is caused by exposure to a situation or environment that is violent or life threatening to an individual or others. Its symptoms include flashbacks, hyperarousal and avoidance. It was originally believed that PTSD represented a natural and normal response at the extreme end of a response continuum based on the severity of the trauma. This response is the flight...
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...because of the brave.” July 4th, 1776 America was founded and presented with the red, white, and blue colors of the flag. Red symbolizing hardiness and valour, white meaning purity and innocence, while blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Since the beginning of time there have been wars fought to protect the United States of America. Although the wars advance in time when veterans return home to get treated for physical and mental wounds these heroes often do not seek medical attention. The veteran affairs hospitals and administrations have not been updated for several years in Louisville, Kentucky. The plans to build a new Veterans’ hospital by 2023 is in the stages of congress as of today and will cost approximately $883.2 million dollars according to Rep. John Yarmouth (Vanderhoff, M Nov 2014). Instead of building a new hospital which cost that much money wouldn’t the veteran affairs and staff get modern technology, a better record keeping system, pay veterans’ waiting on disability, and improve the structure of the Veteran hospital in Louisville. Are veterans getting the help and support they are needing after returning from combat as the wars draw down? There has been several speculations and concerns with our veterans returning home facing home-front wars in regards to the Veteran Affairs and their hospitals. Veterans have been put on a so called “waitlist.” This means they’re likeliness to get an appointment and see a doctor may range from 30 days...
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...is experiencing these symptoms. I have chosen to discuss posttraumatic stress disorder and its capabilities with human beings. In this paper it is proposed that Autonomic Nervous System hyper arousal is at the core of PTSD and the driving force behind dissociation and flashbacks. Acute traumatic reactions are very different from PTSD. Review: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) often disrupts the ability to function of those affected by it, interfering with the ability to meet their daily needs and perform the most basic tasks. Trauma continues to be a part of the lives of people with PTSD as they relive the most horrible life-threatening experiences one could possibly imagine. Researchers have proven that not everyone experiencing traumatic events develops PTSD; it is a complex psychological condition that can emerge in the wake of life-threatening experiences. Certain events are life threatening and will produce traumatic stress in victims. This is a normal and adjustable response for the mind and body to protect the individual. The mind is thinking the only way to protect the individual is to prepare him to fight or run. If these two techniques work the stress will usually be released, allowing the victim to return to a normal level of functioning. PTSD develops: when the threat continues over a long period of time; and/or the threat is so extreme that the...
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...Effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Post traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that is developed after people are exposed to a horrific or life-threatening experience. Symptoms of PTSD may appear immediately or it may appear years later. Even though they may not be present for the traumatic event, family members and significant others such as spouses can be affected indirectly and can also develop certain behaviors. PTSD is commonly characterized by flashbacks and recurrent dreams; sudden irritability and outbursts toward another person without any obvious or known reasons; and restlessness or difficulty sleeping and concentrating. (Neeb, page 169) Traumatic experiences such as witnessing the death of a loved one, being sexually abused or assaulted, being exposed to a war, and being involved in a devastating accident can all cause PTSD. The likelihood of a person developing PTSD is based on the intensity of the trauma. According to the National Institute of Health, once PTSD has developed, women are more prone to experience chronic symptoms of this disorder compared to men. PTSD not only affects the person directly involved in the traumatic situation, but it can also affect people indirectly through exposure to a devastating event. I have recently experienced a very traumatic situation that had caused some early signs of PTSD. My cousin, John, was recently murdered in the comfort of his own home. His wife found him dead after returning...
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...of that nature. If the damage the body may go into what is called a "comatose" condition. Where all nonessential function shuts down for repairs. This is due to the trauma that was experienced. Many of these actions are automated. This is because God has a system in the body to regulate the body. With that in mind PTSD is put into two different categories. They would be direct exposure and indirect exposure to an event. Direct events would be first hand experiences but the person. A point in time that the person felt significant risk of life and limb. An indirect traumatic event would be if an individual would witness a traumatic event. The mind has the same kind of defense mechanism. This is used to cope with severe mental trauma or mental stress. When a person goes through extremely powerful mental trauma that the mind cannot deal with the pain many things happen. One of those things is PTSD or post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This report will look at this disorder from a biblical point of view using the lives of many people. Dreams The dilemma is what PTSD victims deal with frequently. PTSD is a reaction to some kind of stressor but definition. “PTSD is a disorder that has to do with the experiencing, witnessing, or confrontation with any event(s) that involved serious injury, death, or any threat to the physical wellbeing of that person or others” (Friedman, 755). The after effects of dealing with harmful situations....
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...doing so will be punished. When a soldier is combat ready, they see things that can be unimaginable to others. War brings death, fear, anger, and aggression. Many soldiers are subject to being fired upon and/or killing others. Non-combat soldiers in combat settings see death of comrades and innocent people. In both situations, soldiers have many emotional and physical stressors that they deal with while at war. Within this paper, we will look at emotional stress in times of war and how they cause severe mental stress. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how it affects the soldier will be discussed as the leading disorder that impedes reintegration into society. Definitions Combat soldiers- Any military persons who have witnessed and/or acted in a time of war. To include, but not limited to being shot upon, killing, witnessing death, and hand to hand. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that may develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which severe physical...
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...Stress Disorder also known as (PTSD) is a very common disorder. Normally when this diagnosis is being heard or said, many people relate it to a solder when coming home from fighting in a war. However this disorder is one of the most common diagnosed psychiatric disorders, and that it is estimated that about eight percent of the United States population suffers from PTSD. It can not be stressed enough that just because you are not from the army does not mean that you can not be diagnosed with this disorder, and that anybody whom as been through a traumatic event or even witnessed one can have a small part of PTSD Through psychological studies, knowledge has been provided of what PTSD symptoms are, and what methods there are to help those suffering from it. First it is important to understand what Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is. It is usually classified as “A type of anxiety disorder that stays with the victim even when danger no longer exists. “ (NIMH, n.d.) “PTSD can occur when someone suffers a severe mental or physical shock, leaving the person depressed, anxious, and angry.” (CVT News, 2012) The brain naturally has what is called the “Fight or Flight” instinct when dealing with fear. The problem is that when even when the danger is no longer around it can cause he victim to still feel threatened and scared. This disorder can last anywhere from a few weeks to even several years down the road. When most people hear that someone has PTSD they tend to think that the person...
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...deployments. We are victims, suffering from wounds that can’t be seen, but by internal wounds that we struggle with on a daily basis. We will never be the same. Many veterans return from war and are unable to adapt to the life they once knew. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most widely recognized lasting effects of war in service members. PTSD is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened (Department of Veterans Affairs). Every day while patrolling roads in Iraq we had to be aware of our surroundings and not become complacent. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were one of the most common threats we were exposed to. These bombs were hidden in the ground like landmines, unable to be seen with a naked eye, and could only be detected by using metal detectors, the eye in the sky, or being ran over. On several occasions my men and I were directly hit by an IED causing shrapnel to penetrate through our vehicle, causing wheels to be blown off the vehicle, causing a loss of armor, and instilling a fear that death is a reality. This is just one example of the many events that could cause PTSD in a service member. When a tour of duty is over, it is hard for a member of the military to leave the war overseas. The constant exposure to harmful threats makes it near impossible to forget....
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...example of this is the creation and use of nitrous oxide in World War 1. World War 1 was a blood war because of the technological advancements of weaponry and the lack of new tactics. Because of this, soldiers would get extremely wounded and would need a surgery to save their lives. However, the problem of using anesthesia came into the light when the doctors isn't have any good topical anesthetics. Because of this, nitrous oxide was created to give the doctors a topical anesthetic to help the soldiers through there surgeries. “Also, because the sheer scale of the destruction meant armies had to become better organized in looking after the wounded.” (BBC, 2014) because of this, the doctors and surgeons need nitrous oxide to better aid the soldiers during different surgeries. This innovations is still being used in society today in dental offices for basic mouth surgeries because nitrous oxide doesn't have any bad side affects. Another good innovation that came out of a terrible war was the U.S. Veterans Affairs created after the Vietnam war. Because the Vietnam war was focused more on psychological warfare, the amount of soldiers that suffered from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) heightened at this time. To combat this problem the U.S. Government created the Veterans Association to better aid the veterans with PTSD. “Male theater...
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...deployed to Iraq in 2003-2004, subsequent deployments to follow in 2005-2006, and finally 2007-2009 to the place of misery. From the initial push into Iraq from Kuwait and the other two deployments thereafter still sends a shiver down my spine that hasn’t been expressed until I read this poem. She puts into words what I didn’t have the stomach to tell people. The opening stanza describes how I felt during a patrol or a raid I had to execute. I had to accept my death. I couldn’t wait for it, because I knew it was coming for me. I didn’t know when, nobody knows when, we just know that it will come. This poem delves into my deepest emotions of depression, anger, and loneliness, ultimately culminating in what I call PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). PTSD, which this poem describes in my terms, has taken me on a roller coaster ride, which I have yet to stop riding, but it is no longer, a magic mountain roller coaster, rather a ride from fantasyland. I am comfortable talking about my issues to family and complete strangers, however I must remain vigilant and remember that it is still a ride and it can surprise me when I least expect it. Whenever I did a raid or a patrol, I was the one volunteering to be the first assault squad or “point man”, which is the lead squad or the lead person in front of the entire platoon. By doing so I was accepting the fact that I was going...
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...Introduction This book “The War at Home” by Shawn J. Gourley is a great book to read because it reveals the hardship of one family’s fight against PTSD. Over the years, soldiers have struggled with PTSD that not only affects them, but their families, friends, and the surrounding communities. This book sheds light for everyone to actually read and know the signs and symptoms of PTSD. Furthermore, you will actually feel how one’s family had the strength and determination to find their path to recovery. To know that anyone can overcome the devastating obstacles they had to encounter. This family’s struggle learned to find peace with the effects of PTSD and cope with these symptoms throughout their lives. This story was mainly about Shawn and Justin going through the struggles of PTSD and dealing with these hardships throughout the years. Although they had met prior to Justin joining the military in 2000, their life was as normal as any other couple would experience. It wasn’t until Justin joined the service and had re-classed into being an Operation’s Specialist where he was trained to react and secure the dead no matter the cost. His rigorous training had so much impact that when he was in the service, he endured many obstacles to include seeing dead bodies, securing them, keeping everyone calm as stress levels were high, and reacting with hostile intent where his sense of death and danger were heightened. This was not Justin’s primary job as his...
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...disorder (PTSD), can serve as a barrier for veterans reintegrating back into civilian life. PTSD is marked by clear physical and psychological symptoms caused by physical injury or an intense emotional distress. PTSD in military veterans can occur following a life-threatening event such as military combat, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape. PTSD symptoms include depression, substance abuse, problems of memory and cognition, and other physical and mental health problems. This disorder can also be traced to difficulties in social settings or family life, finding a job, marital problems, and in performing parental acts. PTSD is a condition that impacts American military personnel who have returned from deployment and were exposed to encounters with the enemy. Approximately 7% of Americans develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives (Kessler, Berglund, Demler, Jin, Merikangas, & Walters, 2005). Due to increased exposure to traumatic situations (i.e., combat), the prevalence of PTSD is much greater among war veterans compared to the general population (Hoge, Castro, Messer, McGurk, Cotting, & Koffman, 2004). For example, 54% of American male Vietnam veterans are estimated to have had PTSD at some point in their lives (Kulka, Schlenger, Fairbank, Hough, Jordan, Marmar et al., 1990). In the more recent Global War on Terror (GWOT), nearly 20% of Marines and 18% of Soldiers met the criteria for PTSD three to...
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...PTSD is an anxiety disorder that some people get after seeing or living through a dangerous event. When in danger, it’s natural to feel afraid. This fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to prepare to defend against the danger or to avoid it. This “fight-or-flight” response is a healthy reaction meant to protect a person from harm. But in PTSD, this reaction is changed or damaged. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they’re no longer in danger Do children react differently than adults? Children and teens can have extreme reactions to trauma, but their symptoms may not be the same as adults.1 In very young children, these symptoms can include: • Bedwetting, when they’d learned how to use the toilet before • Forgetting how or being unable to talk • Acting out the scary event during playtime • Being unusually clingy with a parent or other adult. Older children and teens usually show symptoms more like those seen in adults. They may also develop disruptive, disrespectful, or destructive behaviors. Older children and teens may feel guilty for not preventing injury or deaths. They may also have thoughts of revenge. For more information, see the NIMH booklets on helping children cope with violence and disasters. What are the symptoms of PTSD? PTSD can cause many symptoms. These symptoms can be grouped into three categories: 1. Re-experiencing symptoms: • Flashbacks—reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms like...
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