...Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Vietnam War Veterans COMM/156 4/14/2013 Professor Marsha Parker PTSD is an anxiety disorder classified as a mental illness caused by exposure to terrifying or life threatening events. During the time of war, people get exposed to devastating experiences such as sexual abuse, witnessing murder of family members or familiar people, and other horrors of war. As a result, the victims suffer from mental disorders since the horrible experiences are forever ingrained in their mind. Bearing in mind that bad memories are rarely erased, the experiences can be compared to a horror movie that is often played in the mind and constantly frightens the victim to death. On one hand the victim celebrates survival but on the other hand the experiences haunt one through night mares or flashbacks. The victim remains constantly on edge and is easily startled. Some common feelings include intense guilt and some time numbness- all signs of posttraumatic stress disorder (TMP, 2012). A research finding by Bruce Dohrenwend and colleagues from New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia’s Letter Carrier School of Public Health, shows that traumatic experiences during war predicted the onset of PTSD in Vietnam veterans (Mikulak, 2013). We will examine the PTSD in Vietnam War veterans. Human existence has been always exposed to traumatic incidences of various kinds. For instance, attacks by lions or even the twentieth century terrorist attacks to...
Words: 1645 - Pages: 7
...led the U.S. to war. Lembcke is a sociologist at Holy Cross College, a Vietnam veteran who was an active member of Vietnam Veterans against the War. His book demolishes the myth that the antiwar movement was anti-soldier and that vets were spat upon.In this book, he argues that the common claim of American soldiers were insulted and spat upon when they returned home from the Vietnam War is a myth and nothing more. It was intended to discredit the anti-war movement and the protesters that were behind it. Lembcke stated that the Nixon administration was behind the propaganda and was using it to discredit the anti-war movement protesters. He theorizes that the reported "spitting on soldiers" scenario was a mythical projection by those who felt "spat upon" and was meant to discredit future anti-war activism. He suggests that the images of pro-war antipathy against anti-war protesters helped contribute to the myth. Lembcke argues that memories of being verbally and physically assaulted by anti-war protesters were largely conjured, arguing that not even one case could be documented. However, some news accounts that mention spitting do exist, although there has been no evidence to support those accounts.( Discover The Networks) It is hard to disprove a myth and hard to prove that something never happened. Lembcke acknowledges that he cannot prove the negative—that no Vietnam veteran was spat on—saying (Lembcke p. 68) it is hard to imagine there...
Words: 1992 - Pages: 8
...POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN WAR VETERANS SC-PNG-0000009299 Alwin Aanand Thomson American Degree Program SEGi College Penang 1.0 INTRODUCTION Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, overwhelming the individual's ability to cope. As an effect of psychological trauma, PTSD is less frequent and more enduring than the more commonly seen acute stress response. Diagnostic symptoms for PTSD include re-experiencing the original trauma(s) through flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and increased arousal—such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger, and hyper vigilance. Formal diagnostic criteria in DSM-IV-TR require that the symptoms last more than one month and cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (American Psychological Association). 2.0 DIAGNOSIS Criteria The diagnostic criteria for PTSD, stipulated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (Text Revision) (DSM-IV-TR), may be summarized as: A: Exposure to a traumatic event This must have involved both (a)...
Words: 2507 - Pages: 11
...Annotated Bibliography Topic: War Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Sub Topics: Chronic PTSD in Vietnam Veterans PTSD in Iraq War Veterans SOURCE 1: What is PTSD? Retrieved on 13 Nov. 2011 http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/what-is-ptsd.asp UNDERSTANDING PTSD Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others' lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening. Anyone who has gone through a life-threatening event can develop PTSD. These events can include: * Combat or military exposure * Child sexual or physical abuse * Terrorist attacks * Sexual or physical assault * Serious accidents, such as a car wreck. * Natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake. After the event, you may feel scared, confused, or angry. If these feelings don't go away or they get worse, you may have PTSD. These symptoms may disrupt your life, making it hard to continue with your daily activities. How does PTSD develop? All people with PTSD have lived through a traumatic event that caused them to fear for their lives, see horrible things, and feel helpless. Strong emotions caused by the event create changes in the brain that may result in PTSD...
Words: 4468 - Pages: 18
...How Therapists Deal with Painful Memories of Post – Traumatic Stress Disorder Victims Abstract How Therapists Deal with Painful Memories of Post – Traumatic Stress Disorder Victims On March 3, 2006, Sergeant Blaire Smith was discharged from the Navy after spending eighteen months in Iraq. While Sergeant Smith was serving time in his deployed location, he was captured and a near death experienced occurred when he was threatened with beheading by his captors. Years later he began seeing flying horses and reported hearing voices from the television that were in a foreign dialogue. It was recommended he see a psychiatrist when family members realized that the foreign dialogue he heard came from the television when it was not turned on. The symptoms that Blaire had were similar to what many other veterans of wars experienced. The doctors treating Sgt. Blaire Smith were familiar with the different types of symptoms he was experiencing and they immediately diagnosed him with Post – Traumatic Stress Disorder (also known as PTSD). PTSD is a common anxiety disorder that develops after exposure to a terrifying event in which a deadly physical harm occurred (Pastorino & Doyle- Portillo, 2010, P. 585). History of PTSD After many years of dealing with the various symptoms of Post – Traumatic Stress Disorder clinicians and psychologist have worked together to develop treatments that help reduced the symptoms of PTSD. These symptoms include depression, anxiety, re-current...
Words: 6125 - Pages: 25
...------------------------------------------------- Assignment 2: Adjustment Case Study KF November 29, 2015 Psychology of adjustment November 29, 2015 Psychology of adjustment My adjustment case study examines two articles from NPR’s Story Corps. In the first article, Teresa Valko describes the painful process and adjustment of watching her mother Evelyn Wilson being slowly consumed by the memory destroying disease, Alzheimer’s. The second article discusses Vietnam veteran Barry Romo and his nephew of the same age Robert Romo. Barry Romo enlisted in the army with the intent to fight in the Vietnam war, and his nephew Robert, who has no intent or desire to go to war ends up being drafted to Barry’s brigade and ultimately killed in battle. Barry feels guilty to this day for not being able to save his nephew. The major adjustment issues in Teresa Valko’s story were that she was losing her mother while her mother is still living. Seeing her mother forget simple things like what she had for dinner, watching her forget her favorite things like flowers and gardening. Eventually her mother Evelyn couldn’t remember the names of her favorite plants and flowers, or the names of the colors to describe them. And there is the issue that there is a high probability according to family history, that she herself will develop the disease. The major adjustment issues in the Romo’s story are that Robert Romo was drafted to war, to his uncle Barry’s brigade, under Barry’s...
Words: 1132 - Pages: 5
...Case Study Research Method Definition of a Case Study: * “Investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident.(Case studies focus on understanding the dynamics present within a single setting. (Eisenhardt, 1989)). * “A case study is an empirical enquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth and within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident.(Robert K.Yin)” Historical background: Case study method emphasizes the study of a single individual. And it comes in the category of single-case research designs. Single-case designs have been used since scientific psychology began in the19th century. Psychophysical methods had their origin in the work of Gustav Fechner and were described in his 1860 book, Elemente der Psychophysik. Fechner,and countless other psychophysicists since, relied on data obtained through experiments with one or two individuals. Hermann Ebbinghaus is another major figure in the early history of psychology who used a single-case design. In fact, the single case that Ebbinghaus studied was himself. He was both the participant and the experimenter for the research he published in his monograph on memory in 1885. Over a period of many months he learned and then attempted to relearn hundreds of series of nonsense syllables. His data provided psychologists...
Words: 3558 - Pages: 15
...Using Meditation to Treat PTSD Att Yuwana PSY/315 9 July 2015 Vivian Surwill Using Meditation to Treat PTSD It is no secret that our men and women of the military may suffer from a traumatic experience. According to the VA, the numbers are as follows: • Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF): About 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans (or between 11-20%) who served in OIF or OEF have PTSD in a given year. Gulf War (Desert Storm): About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year. • Vietnam War: About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam Veterans (or 15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD at the time of the most recent study in the late 1980s, the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS). It is estimated that about 30 out of every 100 (or 30%) of Vietnam Veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime. (How Common is PTSD? (n.d.) Many have tried to come up with an effective treatment to help our service members suffering through PTSD. Although there are many types of treatment therapy and medication, this article will focus on using forms of meditation like Transcendental Meditation (TM) or yoga to help veterans suffering through PTSD. Veterans with PTSD There are many forms of treatment, the most common being a combination of therapy and medication. However as in all treatments in psychology, not all people respond well and others don’t find it effective. This causes many veterans to stop seeking treatment...
Words: 1685 - Pages: 7
...Professor ENG215 Research and Writing 7 August 2010 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Takes Special Medical Care The government is awesome at getting men ready for war, but they can’t quite get them back to civilian life and a humble heart. - JUNIOR ENLISTED MARINE, POST-IRAQ After we came back, many of us were only back in body. Our souls stayed over there. – ARMY COMBAT ENGINEER, POST-IRAQ Transition can mean the big picture of how a warrior has to try to adjust back into society, but the short term is very critical, from when a warrior leaves the battlefield to when they hit the streets at home. If there’s one thing I learned from my experiences, it was that there was no transition at all. –VIETNAM VETERAN Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has become the major medical issue with our soldiers returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. For many soldiers, it is a badge of honor to have served but for most, it is a start to an endless battle of finding the courage to continue to serve or be labeled an unfit soldier for the military and useless to their family. PTSD affects not only the soldier’s way of life but the core of who the soldier is. For this reason, the government should take special care informing society what is PTSD, who gets PTSD and what types of treatments are available to them. Government must ensure there are programs in place to assist soldiers and family members in dealing with PTSD issues. The Department...
Words: 2079 - Pages: 9
...Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After experiencing a traumatic event, the mind horde away the memories and then send them back at unexpected times and places, even after years have passed. It does so in such a way that makes the recall just as traumatizing as the first time it happened. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is the name for the acquired mental condition that follows a psychologically distressing event. The root cause of this disorder is a traumatic event which embeds itself firmly in the mind that the person may be bounded by the pain and agony of the event, experiencing it again and again as the mind stays connected with the past rather than the present, which makes it difficult to think of the future. PTSD has different effects that manifest itself in different ways in individuals such as veterans, post-partum women, and 9/11 victims. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that develops after a traumatic event. PTSD has also been called shell shock or battle fatigue. The exact cause of PTSD is unknown; however, it is triggered by exposure to some sort of traumatic event(s). Situations in which a person feels intense fear, helplessness, or horror are considered traumatic. PTSD has been reported in people who experienced, war, rape, sexual abuse, car accident, pregnancy, and much more. Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will develop PTSD. People with PTSD experience symptoms...
Words: 1274 - Pages: 6
...Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Necessary Improvements the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and United States Department of Defense Must Make Abstract Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental anxiety disorder, affects 13% to 20% of armed force members returning from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) (Hoge, et. al, 2004), in addition to a large population of Vietnam Veterans. Within the past 32 years, awareness of this disorder has escalated and the realism of the severity of this disorder has been noticed. Efforts to screen and treat PTSD in military veterans have been established by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Screening is conducted once military personnel return from deployment and treatments including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Exposure Therapy, and medications are used to relieve the symptoms of PTSD. These screening and treatment methods are evaluated and s suggestion for improvement is made. Necessary Improvements the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the United States Department of Defense Must Make With Regards to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In current political debate, the United States is arguing where budget cuts should be made and how the U.S. should go about spending money. The U.S. military is consistently brought up in these considerations. In such considerations, topics such as downsizing the military and the...
Words: 4896 - Pages: 20
...VIETNAM NATIONAL UNVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE Advanced Teaching Methodology TESOL Program Instructor: Nguyen Thu Huong, Ph.D. Class: 2016-B Name: Doan Thi Sam FINAL PAPER Vocabulary is a crucial part of language that it is unattainable for a language system to achieve without them. Language structure is considered “the skeleton of the language,” it agreed that vocabulary is “the vital organs and flesh” (Harmer, 1991). So learning a language is to learn its vocabulary first. The acquisition of vocabulary is the central task for second language acquisition, and the language learners’ vocabulary competence takes a prestigious effect...
Words: 1720 - Pages: 7
...The chemical composition of the human brain has always been fragile, being put in a state of battle can produce chemicals that have a massive effect on the body and mental state of being. Further factors include outside aggressors such as foreign chemicals and one’s own self. (PTSD) or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can only be developed if one has been exposed to a very traumatic event evolving an actual threat or serious injury, or a threat to a physical integrity of oneself or others. Most importantly a clinical experience with PTSD diagnosis has shown that most people who have been exposed to a horrific event do not necessarily acquire PTSD although that is the main cause of it; there was a vast amount of individual differences regarding the capacity or threshold to take a traumatic event. Very many illnesses have an effect on American literature, and this is because of how Agent Orange, Gulf War Syndrome, and PTSD came about. They affect literature by the way the media novels and authors portray them. Different people react to events differently; no one person is the same as one another. Like pain the traumatic experience is filtered through a cognitive and emotional process called appraisal. PTSD can take a very psychological and emotional toll on ones personal life, such as resentment and possibly force one to act out in odd ways. There are three different categories: pre-traumatic, traumatic and post traumatic factors. Pre traumatic could be anything from familiar...
Words: 1771 - Pages: 8
...commonly known as PTSD, is a common problem for veterans returning from war all over the world. It can often be misdiagnosed as a traumatic brain injury or overlooked altogether because of the similarities in their symptoms. This paper will define what post-traumatic stress is as according to the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders, its correlation with insomnia and nightmares, traumatic brain injuries and rare heart conditions, and it summarizes various treatment options including virtual reality, the Recover process, cognitive processing therapy, clinical programs, the use of the drug propranolol, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Lastly, it will review problems with those treatments, involving flaws in the research studies, ethical issues and gender issues. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders 3 Defining, Diagnosing, Correlation with Insomnia and Nightmares as well as The Treatment and Recovery Processes in War Veteran’s Wars have been fought for centuries, and the soldiers fighting these wars often come home scarred, either physically, mentally, or both. Soldiers who exhibit a variety of symptoms complain about having difficulty sleeping or a hard time reconnecting with friends and family after returning from combat. These symptoms have been attributed to Da Costa’s Syndrome, effort syndrome, neurocirculatory asthenia, or soldier’s heart in the American Civil Was, shell shock in World War I, battle fatigue in World War...
Words: 3561 - Pages: 15
...The Vietnam War was a war fought between 1959 and 1975 to prevent the reunification of Vietnam under a communist government. They participated the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), with the support of the United States and other nations, against the local guerrillas of the Vietnam Liberation Front (Viet Cong) and the army of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), backed by China and mainly by the Soviet Union.The decade of the 60s, was of deep transformations in the most powerful country of the world that tried to maintain the military and economic hegemony achieved with the defeat of fascism in Europe, a summer of 1945. When, in January 1973, the Peace Accords in Paris were concluded, most Americans were relieved that the Vietnam...
Words: 1945 - Pages: 8
