Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Most

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Most people think of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a disorder based on being in a war zone, and being hurt or otherwise traumatized by the incredible violence and the shock of the noise related to combat. But PTSD is not confined to war injuries or war zone-related emotional trauma. In fact, the sudden suicide of a loved one, family member, or dear close friend can also lead to PTSD, which of course is vastly different than a war-related instance of PTSD, but it is nonetheless a serious health matter for the person who has survived the suicide victim.

An article in the Harvard Women's Health Watch points out that each year some 33,000 people in the United States commit suicide. And each time someone commits suicide there are "an estimated six or more 'suicide survivors'" -- the folks who loved that person, cared deeply about that person and "are left grieving and struggling to understand" how and why it happened (Harvard Women's Health Watch).

The aftermath of a sudden death by suicide can leave the survivors "in shock" and if the survivor is asked by police to visit the site of the death scene; it can "add to the trauma" if the survivor feels he or he has no choice but to cooperate. A clinical psychologist, Dr. Jack Jordan, is interviewed in this article and he believes revisiting the scene where the loved one or spouse took his or her own life can lead to PTSD, and should be avoided when possible.

"Some suicide survivors develop post-traumatic stress disorder… [which] can become chronic if not treated," the article explains. If the trauma is not treated, images of that fateful event or day can be triggered quickly and can create "anxiety…stigma, shame and isolation," according to the article in Harvard Women's Health Watch. After a homicide, the persons surviving have an ideal place to direct their rage -- the person who perpetrated the killing. but, the article continues, in a suicide situation, the victim is also the person who perpetrated the death so, the article continues, there is "a bewildering clash of emotions" bringing with it great stress and shock.

Meanwhile Erin R. Finley is a medical anthropologist who works for the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs in Texas, and he has written a book called Fields of Combat: Understanding PTSD Among Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Finley explains that 120,000 soldiers have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder since President George W. Bush sent the U.S. military into Iraq in 2003 in an invasion of that country (General OneFile). The symptoms that these returning troops are going through are the same, Finley says, as those symptoms suffered by soldiers in the Civil War: restlessness, nightmares, aggression, and hypervigilance, according to a review of the book (it was not available for this paper).

Unfortunately medical science had not identified the symptoms of PTSD during the Civil War and in fact the diagnoses was only fully recognized about thirty years ago, Finley explains. As to the treatment, it is "mired in conflict" because the author asserts there is "mistrust" between the war veterans and civilian clinicians. In his book, Finley relates to the stories of four soldiers that suffered PTSD, including a U.S. Marine named Tony Sandoval "who can barely complete a full sentence about the horrors he saw" and by an Army soldier (Jesse Caldera) who "is haunted by fears he killed a child" (General OneFile).

An article in the journal Policy Review references an early example of PTSD, suffered by an Athenian warrior that was "struck blind 'without blow of sword or dart' when a soldier standing next to him was killed" (Satel, 2011, p. 41). That story was told by Herodotus, and Satel suggests it was an ancient example of PTSD, which in WWI it was also called "battle fatigue," "combat exhaustion," and "war stress," according to the author.

One of the pertinent questions raised in this article relates to the how the severity of PTSD is determined by healthcare professionals -- and how soon they might be healed from the trauma. "How can clinicians predict which patients will recover when a veteran's odds of recovery depend o greatly on non-medical factors… " Satel asks (p. 41). For example, say a soldier is diagnosed with PTSD and begins receiving $2,300 every month from the government, tax-free, because he has been determined to be 100% disabled. What if those dependable monthly dollars create an "incentive" for him to "embrace institutional dependence?" Then the government has done a disservice to the veteran notwithstanding the good intentions put forward, the author concludes.