PTSD in Military
Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that is triggered by exposure to a traumatic event in which severe physical harm was either threatened or occurred. It’s natural to feel afraid during a traumatic event. However, in the case of PTSD, this intense feeling of fear and anxiety remains long after the ordeal.
Traumatic events that can trigger PTSD include:
- Military combat
- Natural disasters
- Serious accidents
- Terrorist attacks
- Violent personal assaults.
PTSD is a serious condition, and it is particularly common among members of the military and combat veterans. If left untreated, PTSD in military veterans can lead to other mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Some people with PTSD end up dependent on drugs or alcohol, engage in self-destructive behaviors or even commit suicide.
PSTD Military Relationship
The PTSD/military relationship has been noted since the Civil War — when it was called DaCosta’s Syndrome — though PTSD was not considered a separate diagnosis until 1980. Due to combat and other intense situations that military personnel experience, PTSD is very common among military veterans. For example, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2006 found that 16 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq suffered from mental health problems, most commonly PTSD.
Scientists first began studying and researching PTSD in depth after the Vietnam War. Since then, signs of PTSD have been identified in surviving military from World War II, the Korean War and the Iraq War. Personnel deployed in United Nations peacekeeping forces as well as members of armed forces from other countries also experience PTSD.
Military PTSD Statistics
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 3.5 percent of American adults (roughly 7.7 million) experience PTSD in any given year. Military PTSD statistics are even higher — 19 percent of Vietnam veterans were diagnosed with PTSD after the war.
Several factors increase the risk of a military veteran experiencing PTSD. These risk factors include:
- Close proximity to the traumatic event
- Lack of control during the ordeal
- Lack of support after the event
- Longer ordeals
- More intense traumas
- Strong reactions at the time of the ordeal.
Military PTSD Symptoms
Military PTSD symptoms are threefold. First, the veteran experiences intrusive memories. These memories usually involve vivid flashbacks or nightmares, causing the person to relive the traumatic event over and over again. These flashbacks are sometimes caused by audio or visual triggers. For example, the sound of a car backfiring may resemble the sound of a gunshot.
Second, people with PTSD will usually go out of their way to avoid anxiety-inducing situations. They may refuse to think about or discuss the traumatic event. A feeling of emotional numbness is part of this avoidance defense mechanism.
The last group of PTSD symptoms relate to a feeling of hyper-arousal. These symptoms include:
- Always being on the alert for danger
- Concentration problems
- Constantly worrying about safety
- Insomnia
- Irritability and anger.
Resources
At Health. (2008). PTSD fact sheet. Retrieved May 11, 2010, from www.athealth.com/Consumer/disorders/ptsdfacts.html.
National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (2010). Military service-related PTSD. Retrieved May 11, 2010, from www.socialworkers.org/research/naswResearch/0907Military/default.asp.
National Institute of Mental Health NIMH Staff. (2010). The numbers count: Mental disorders in America. Retrieved May 11, 2010, from www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml#PTSD.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2010). What is PTSD? Retrieved May 11, 2010, from www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/what-is-ptsd.asp.
Zielinski, N. (2010). Facts and figures of PTSD in the military. Retrieved May 11, 2010, from www.examiner.com/x-29099-Grand-Rapids-Public-Health-Examiner~y2010m1d10-Facts-and-figures-of-PTSD-in-the-military.