Sunday, April 22, 2012

Is there enough help?


Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder effects a portion of the men and woman who serve our country. It is classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) as an anxiety disorder. Experiencing a psychological trauma such as abuse, addictions, illness, as well as war brings about post-traumatic stress disorder. Those who serve our country experience war, death, and emotional unrest all of which when combined can spark post-traumatic stress disorder. A trigger such as a loud noise can set off the combination of these things, and it came bring them back to the state of war.
Often when soldiers come back from war, they are evaluated for post-traumatic stress disorder, but often times symptoms or signs don’t show up until weeks later, or they are considered fine, even though in reality they aren’t. Although there are some programs for soldiers for counseling and help adjusting back to civilian life, I believe that there is not enough help available, and the help that is available is almost shunned, because it is not openly discussed.
I believe that there should be more programs available from day one, of being state side. Even though one may say they are fine, they should be required to attend a series of counseling sessions with trained personnel to be fully evaluated, as well as to be kept up on after deployments.

2 comments:

  1. If you watch an old movie about war don't they call PTSD shell shock? I can remember it being a joke. A cheech and chong movie comes to mind where there is a "crazy" vietnam vet they have to deal with to get weed. I guess we don't view the disorder as lightly as we once did.

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  2. i've never knew that there is an experience of trauma evaluating after war. I thought army are use it. anyway it was good to know that there is. charleston sc

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