Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in an Era

¶ … Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) In an era of American history which will likely be defined by the disastrous decision to launch two foreign wars simultaneously -- which resulted in the nation's volunteer military force suffering tens of thousands of casualties in a decade of continuous combat -- public health experts here at home have become increasingly aware that the battle never really ends for those who have suffered through episodes of extreme stress and trauma.

The diagnosis rate of post-traumatic stress disorder has risen at a steady rate for several consecutive years, both because of the medical community's growing understanding of its underlying causes, and the active removal of social stigmas regarding mental illness.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV Text Revision (DSM-IV TR), "diagnostic criteria for PTSD include a history of exposure to a traumatic event that meets specific stipulations and symptoms from each of four symptom clusters: intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, and alterations in arousal and reactivity," (DSM -- IV, 1994, 4th ed.).

The presence of an abusive parent during childhood, the subsequent divorce of one's parental guardians, and the acceleration of childhood due to the abandonment of authority figures are all leading adolescent precursors of PTSD developing in adults. Furthermore, according to the DSM-IV TR, "when an individual who has been exposed to a traumatic event develops anxiety symptoms, re-experiencing of the event, and avoidance of stimuli related to the event lasting more than four weeks, they may be suffering from this disorder" (1994).

Further complicating the treatment this increasingly prevalent affliction, undiagnosed cases of PTSD and similar cognitive wounds can often manifest as seemingly inexplicable acts of violence and neglect against one's and loved ones (Bugental et al., 2002). According to a recent report compiled by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to assess the government's diagnosis and treatment of PTSD and other mental injuries in veterans, "statistics from VHA's suicide-prevention coordinators indicate that in fiscal year 2009 there were nearly 11,000 suicide attempts among veterans receiving care from the agency; 6.2% were documented as fatal" (Elmendorf, 2012).

Despite the mounting evidence that misdiagnosis and maltreatment of PTSD has led to the astounding rise in suicide rates among American veterans, Gen. Raymond Odierno, the Army chief of staff, recently reported to Congress that "forty percent of the Defense Department's medical providers working at military hospitals and clinics are civilians subject to furlough .. (and) the number of mental health counselors assisting service members returning from combat zones with issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder may be cut" (Vogel, 2013).

The politically motivated stalemate between President Obama's administration and Republicans in Congress has forced mandatory budget cuts known as the sequester, and while the Department of Veterans Affairs and its $140 billion budget was spared by virtue of a special exemption, the cuts have already started to affect low-wage earning and retired veterans who are suffering from diagnosed or suspected cases of PTSD.

There are several viable solutions to address the funding gap which exists for PTSD treatment on a societal level, including the use of charitable contributions and private philanthropy, the application of political pressure by key voting demographics with a.