...Are women capable of serving in combat roles in the military psychologically? Kevin Carpenter BCOM/275 July 16th, 2012 Sandra Payne ABSTRACT According to an article in the Huffington Post women handle combat stress as well as men (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/08/women-combat-stress_n_873381.html). It is the purpose of this paper to show that psychologically women do not handle combat stress as well as men. Through research I will show that women have a higher chance of suffering from Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and have increased risk of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The definition of MST used by the VA is given by U.S. Code (1720D of Title 38). It is “psychological trauma, which in the judgment of the VA mental health professional, resulted from a physical assault of a sexual nature, battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment which occurred while the Veteran was serving on active duty or active duty for training.” Sexual harassment is further defined as “repeated, unsolicited verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature which is threatening in character.” In more concrete terms, MST includes any sexual activity where you are involved against your will (http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/military-sexual-trauma-general.asp ). PTSD as covered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs can occur after a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something terrible and scary that you see, hear about, or that happens to you like combat exposure...
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...The need for a clinical treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) sits at the forefront of research in the psychiatric community. With its emergence as a defined disorder, rather than a label of “extreme trauma” or “shellshock,” PTSD exists as one of the more difficult psychiatric disorders to treat successfully. Although several treatments are available at the clinical level, the success rate for curing the PTSD patient remains small and pervasive. In recent years, mental health providers, through numerous studies and related experiments, concluded that PTSD patients respond most favorably to a multi-layered treatment process. With the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), drug therapy, group-based therapy and other forms of psychotherapy, patients are achieving a higher cure rate and lower rate of re-occurrence. PTSD is an anxiety disorder triggered as a result of an extreme traumatic event in a person’s life. This trauma might be the result of battle, death, abuse, or violence of any sort. The trauma can cause symptoms to manifest within a month of the event or lay dormant for a period of time, according to all definitions of PTSD. This disorder causes the traumatized to continually re-live the event, to separate from anything associated with the event, either perceived or real, and to become numbed to their normal life process. Another specific reaction to PTSD is hyperarousal, or a heightened sense of watchfulness or paranoia. These symptoms are usually...
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...This papers offers insight on the struggle among veterans that suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) related to combat and other stressful situations that are endured during military enlistment. There are many articles available as well as research that has been conducted on the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among Veterans that are combat and non combat related. There are many articles that closely show similar variations of statistics of Veterans in the United States of America that suffer from Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which varies by service area. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can also be related to other occurrences such as combat situations, military sexual trauma, and traumatic brain injury...
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...relationship between a father and child changes over the long period of time until the veteran returns. Moreover, they collected data from 42 families of returned prisoners of the Vietnam War and attempted to identify a combination of factors that could explain the variability in the quality of the father-child relationship subsequent to the returning from the War. This information from this book will help convey emotional lives that these children have to endure. This book will strengthen my research by pointing out how children are affected when there is a nonattendance of one of the parents for a long period of time. Bowen, L. Gary, Dennis K. Orthner. The Organization Family: WORK AND FAMILY LINKAGES IN THE U.S... New York, NY: Praeger Publishers, 1989. Print. This book depicts how marital relationships get torn apart because of soldiers that come back from the war with post traumatic stress and have the need to have an aggressive and physical attitude towards their wife. The aggression these women have to face forces them to determine if they will stick by these veterans or get a divorce because these men don’t know how to control this disorder. Bowen...
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...EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper analyzes the cost/benefit of long-term care of Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and the constraints the Department of Veterans Affairs faces in trying to meet the needs of these Soldiers. This paper uses data collected from government sources like the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Benefit Administration. The conclusions of the analysis are that: (a) The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is already overwhelmed by the number of patients it currently sees and the addition of these new Veteran’s seeking care will put a severe strain on the resources that are currently available; (b) The Veterans Benefit Association (VBA) is in need of restructuring to be able to handle the influx on claims it is currently experiencing. As it stands now the current wait time is up to 90 days before a Veteran will receive their disability rating and that time can increase with these additional claims; and (c) Providing medical care and disability compensation benefits to the Soldiers returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan can cost anywhere from $400 - $900 billion depending on the type of care required, how quickly they file their claims, and the growth rate of those benefits. The recommendations that need to be considered include: increasing the staff as well as the budget for Veterans Medical Centers especially those that specialize in mental health treatment; restructure the claims process and increase...
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...Homeless veterans are people (men and women) served their tenure in armed forces of the country with no homes or proper accommodations in the country with different issues and psychological problems. It is observed that many of the people live with severe psychological disorders that affect the lives in regards to their living pattern including life and death. As observed in 2012, about sixty-five thousands of homeless veterans in the United States of America are living without the basic necessities of life and among them about eight percent include female population. Furthermore, there is an increasing trend of suicide cases among these homeless veterans because of severe PTSD, Aids, and other serious diseases. Casualties of Self- Sacrifices...
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...define these types of abuse as well as be able to understand the effects of the abuse on the victim. One must also be able to understand a variety of treatment methods to be able to aid the client in the healing process. A Christian counselor must also be able to provide biblical insight in the situation for the client. Introduction Abuse against women happens in many forms; some people might considering one form of abuse more damaging than others. In order for one to have a basic concept of abuse it must be defined; Krishna, Prasanna, Sheikh & Dattatreya (2014), reports “mistreatment; harming or injuring another, abuse can be divided into two categories internal and external. The external abuse is the focus on this paper, it can be physical abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse or sexual abuse” (p.18). The basic understanding of abuse is that it produces a negative outcome for the victim. The most prevalent form of abuse towards women is domestic violence; it can be read about in newspapers, heard on the nightly news and has been addressed in state and federal statues to be able to punish this form of violence against women. Domestic violence and psychological abuse can often predict the occurrence of one another. The abuse from the batterer towards the victim often starts with psychological abuse before the physical abuse takes place. Many...
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...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. Most people who go through a traumatic event have...
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...Women and P.T.S.D 1 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Women Women and Their Risk for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 8 Oct 2012 PSY 121 Dr. Hornstein Women and P.T.S.D 2 Abstract This paper will explain the causes, symptoms, and treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as it relates to women. A multitude of studies were done showing the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in men but recent studies show the severity of the psychiatric disorder on women. Researchers have found that non-combat veteran females had higher levels of PACAP (pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide) than patients without the psychiatric disorder and none in men.(2) Women and P.T.S.D. 3 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.) is a serious condition that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic or terrifying event in which serious physical harm occurred or was threatened. P.T.S.D. is a real diagnosable disorder, (3) although many health insurance companies refuse to acknowledge it by paying for it. P.T.S.D. is a lasting consequence of traumatic ordeals that cause intense fear, helplessness, or horror. People with P.T.S.D. may suffer flashbacks to the traumatic event, become aggressive, or numb, or withdrawn, have nightmares, and become emotionally numb or even violent. Most people who experience a traumatic event will have reaction that may include shock, anger, nervousness, fear, and even guilt. These reactions...
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...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...
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...called sexual dysfunctions. Sexual dysfunctions are defined as persistent or recurrent difficulties in becoming sexually aroused or reaching orgasm. There are many different types of sexual dysfunctions. They are classified into four categories: sexual desire disorders, sexual arousal disorders, orgasmic disorders, and sexual pain disorders. The disorder I would like to touch on that affects both men and women sexual desire disorders. Female and Male Sexual Disorders The orgasmic disorder is split into two categories. The first category is the female orgasmic disorder. This disorder causes women a challenge to achieve orgasm if they can achieve it, but this does not always count for masturbation. Women with this disorder usually do not receive enough clitoral stimulation during sexual intercourse to be able to achieve orgasm. Performance anxiety or sexual guilt may provoke an outburst. Also, trying too hard causes the opposite. Another main problem women encounter is not participating to the fullest. They rather watch than engage when it comes to active sexual intercourse. Women can also experience premature ejaculation, but most of the times this is not even recognized or classified as orgasmic disorder. Types of sexual dysfunctions include hypoactive sexual desire disorder, female sexual arousal disorder, male erectile disorder, orgasmic disorder, and premature ejaculation. Hypoactive sexual desire disorder is a sexual dysfunction characterized by lack of interest in sexual activity...
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...The Military, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and Personality Jaye Crouse Northcentral University Dr. Claire Clifford PSY8100 Jul 20, 2014 Introduction The field of personality psychology has developed out of the necessity to know why people act, feel, and think like they do, to analyze their inward and outward motivations, and to discover where behaviors originate. It is the age-old debate of nature versus nurture that is found in many psychological theories and personality is no exception. Some researchers are convinced that the structure of personality is uniform and personality traits are universal, fundamentally heritable, and comprised of broadly defined dimensions where cultural, social, and gender influences are irrelevant and personality traits are fairly stable (Cattell, Eber, & Tatsuoka, 1970; McCrae & Costa, 1997: Terracciano & McCrae, 2006). Other psychologists such as humanistic and positive psychologists believe quite the opposite and contend that humans are essentially good with free will to make choices, change outcomes, and seek out opportunities to enhance their quality of life with the goal of self-actualizing, making personality a more fluid and less deterministic perspective with a focus on values, resiliency, and subjective well-being (Cloninger, 2013). Other researchers such as Freud, Adler, Horney, and Jung believe culture, society, and environment are profoundly important influences on personality (working in tandem...
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...Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders 1 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders: Defining, Diagnosing, Correlation with Insomnia and Nightmares as well as The Treatment and Recovery Processes in War Veteran’s Tammy L. Egan Fulton-Montgomery Community College Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders 2 Abstract Post-traumatic stress disorder or most 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...
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...Clin Soc Work J (2014) 42:323–335 DOI 10.1007/s10615-014-0496-z ORIGINAL PAPER Trauma Through the Life Cycle: A Review of Current Literature Shulamith Lala Ashenberg Straussner Alexandrea Josephine Calnan • Highlight every key term that refers to the following key concepts: 1) "trauma" generally a) "large T trauma" b) "micro-trauma" 2) "resilience" Published online: 31 May 2014 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014 Abstract This paper provides an overview of common traumatic events and responses, with a specific focus on the life cycle. It identifies selected ‘‘large T’’ and ‘‘micro’’ traumas encountered during childhood, adulthood and late life, and the concept of resilience. It also identifies the differences in traumatic events and reactions experienced by men compared to women, those related to the experience of immigration, and cross generational transmission of trauma. Descriptions of empirically-supported treatment approaches of traumatized individuals at the different stages of the life cycle are offered. Keywords PTSD Á Large-T and micro-traumas Á Neurobiology Á Gender differences Á Immigrants Á Treatment approaches The past is never dead. It’s not even past. William Faulkner The conflict between the will to deny horrible events and the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic of psychological trauma. Judith Lewis Herman S. L. A. Straussner (&) Silver School of Social Work, New York University, 1 Washington...
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...Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and have no addiction to any substance. They must possess family members emotionally willing to allow them to leave at a moment’s notice, stay for...
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