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This has made it very difficult for me to relate to those around me, even to the family members that loved me and still love me, and that I still love; despite the bonds we share that could never be broken, there are parts of me that they will never understand -- parts of myself that I don't really understand.
As clear as the effects of PTSD are, and as evident as it is to many that the Iraq war has produced more horrors than many other military actions and thus has led to more cases of PTSD, there are some that argue these reports are overblown. In testimony given to the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs, Sally Satel argues that though PTSD is real and certainly debilitative, there is no reason to think that the military action in Iraq would produce more individuals with PTSD than other campaigns (Satel 2004). The central problem, as Satel sees it, is that levels of PTSD are often determined through self-reporting by soldiers, who are not fully trained in recognizing their own disorders (Satel 2004). While there is certainly some merit to this argument -- I have no training in psychology, and I do not believe that Blake Roberts had any, either -- the conclusions that Satel draws from this minor fact are ultimately ridiculous. When a person cannot sleep out of fear for what will happen to them or their family despite the fact that they live on a quiet suburban street, and when the few hours of sleep this individual does manage to get is interrupted by witnessed scenes of violence playing in unbidden nightmarish loops, it reads like a classic case of PTSD. Even if she doesn't want to call it that, it is certainly a debilitative psychological problem that needs recognition and support, not skepticism.
Creating a greater awareness of PTSD and the difficulties it creates actually...
Though others will never be able to truly understand what we have gone through, an acknowledgment of that lack of understanding and an acceptance of the difficulties we have can help us heal by re-learning how to accept ourselves. Greater awareness will also lead to greater pressure on officials to implement programs providing direct psychological help to soldiers with PTSD. Talk to your friends about this issue, talk to your neighbors, and talk to your representatives -- PTSD is still a growing problem, and the men and women that served with honor deserve to be served with the same dignity and respect when they arrive home.
References
Huang, K. (2005). Night visions. Accessed 7 November 2010. http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/films/night_visions/
Satel, S. (2004). "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Iraq Veterans: Testimony before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs," American Enterprise Institute, March 11. Accessed 7 November 2010. http://libproxy.howardcc.edu:2067/ovrc/retrieve.do?subjectParam=Locale%2528en%252C%252C%2529%253AFQE%253D%2528su%252CNone%252C4%2529PTSD%2524&contentSet=GSRC&sort=Relevance&tabID=T010&sgCurrentPosition=0&subjectAction=DISPLAY_SUBJECTS&prodId=OVRC&searchId=R1¤tPosition=5&userGroupName=colu91149&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&sgHitCountType=None&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C4%29PTSD%24&inPS=true&searchType=BasicSearchForm&displaySubject=&docId=EJ3010640215&docType=GSRC
Vendantam, S. (2006). "Veterans report mental distress." Washington post, March 1. Accessed 7 November 2010. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/28/AR2006022801712.html
, 2010). This point is also made by Yehuda, Flory, Pratchett, Buxbaum, Ising and Holsboer (2010), who report that early life stress can also increase the risk of developing PTSD and there may even be a genetic component involved that predisposes some people to developing PTSD. Studies of Vietnam combat veterans have shown that the type of exposure variables that were encountered (i.e., severe personal injury, perceived life threat, longer duration,
Findings showed that 95% of the respondents' overall health status was slightly higher compared to that of the general U.S. population of the same age and sex. Factors identified with the favorable health status were male gender, married state, higher educational attainment, higher military rank and inclusion in the Air Force service. Lower quality of health was associated with increased use of health care, PTSD, disability, behavioral risk factors
By nature, this approach demonstrates that "much research is pragmatically driven by the high-impact publication requirements of academia." (Byrne et al., 47) This is an important idea to consider in desiring to reflect validity in a qualitative approaches taken toward PTSD. Here, the intent for the researcher is to 'ground' his experiment in a thorough understanding of the research subject, with the primary research problem being the need to
G., when there are deaths of several soldiers or emergency workers of a unit). Combat is a stressor that is associated with a relatively high risk of PTSD, and those interventions that can potentially diminish this risk are very important. But what is not clear in the above is how much the debriefing provided is more a form of stress management for the ?critical incidents? that are very much part
Anthropologist working with the VA Definitions / Interests / Key Problems and Issues Previous Work Performed by Anthropologists in this Area The Employment Situation, Current Salaries and Opportunities for Advancement Bibliography of the most important books, chapters and articles Relevant professional organizations, ethics statements and newsletters Names / locations of PAs and others working in the content area locally and elsewhere. Relevant Laws and Regulations Relevant international / domestic organizations, private and public Other helpful information you think about
PTSD in the Middle East Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common mental health or psychological disorders facing people in the Middle East region. This condition emerges from episodes of social upheaval, combat, and violence that have become common in the Middle East over the past few years. Some of the major areas in the Middle East that have been characterized by increased conflicts in recent years include