Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is defined by the American Psychiatric Association (2000) as a mental disorder. Following exposure to a traumatic event, the exposure can result in symptoms of reexperiencing the trauma. The symptoms lead to social or occupational dysfunction.

PTSD is usually thought of to exist among military personnel. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has been called by different names. In earlier wars, it was called "shell shock" and "battle fatigue". But PTSD can be caused by exposure to various types of trauma. Some examples are violence, overwhelming guilt, abandonment, injury accidents, separation, death of a loved one, witness to a traumatic event, natural disaster, war, and victim of crime or abuse. Exposure to trauma can be relived by horrific memories and feelings. The effects of the trauma can be seen immediately, or it can be a delayed reaction.

Traumatic experiences are extremely common in today's world. One in every three Americans will be exposed to a traumatic event during their lifetime (Brunello et al., 2001). That's 150,000,000 people will experience some type of trauma. Out of those people, 7.8% will develop symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Gabbard, 2006).

Millions of adult women experience rape. Millions of people experience aggravates assult. Residents of New Orleans may have or still experience Post-Katrina Stress Disorder. People who lived through hurricane Katrina may experience anger, frustration, thoughts of hopelessness, fantasies of their previous life or the life they want to have back, and marital disstress. The men who helped during 9/11 may have developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Some of them may have deep issues of feeling guilty that they survived. Firefighters, pedmedics, and law enforcement officers who save people's lives and are the first to the scene and can witness traumatic events.

A study by Tsay, Halstead, McCrone (2001) showed that people with post-traumatic stress disorder are helped most when they take a direct action coping strategy. What this means is that to cope with the disorder, it's not effective to avoid it, blame other people for it, or resort to drug abuse such as alcohol to numb feelings.

Getting help for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be a concern more some people. Stimgas in our culture often tell us that PTSD isn't real or that it's all in a person's head. Similar stimgas are common with depression. Finding help for PTSD is important because by avoiding it, symptoms may lead to maritial distress, drug abuse, or even suicide.

Vulnerability to Developing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
           
While an estimated eight percent of the general public in America has post-traumatic stress disorder, it is significantly higher among combat veterans with an estimated 15 to 30 percent. Several factors increase vulnerability of developing PTSD: the severity, duration, and proximity of one's exposure to traumatic events (APA, 2000). In addition, factors such as social support, family history, childhood experiences, personality variables, and preexisting mental disorders are all influential for the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder. However, environmental factors are not the only precursor for developing PTSD. For instance, evidence suggests that there is a heritable gene that places some people at greater risk of post-traumatic stress disorder than those who do not have the heritable component. In addition, “a history of depression in the first-degree relatives has been associated with an increased vulnerability to developing post-traumatic stress disorder” (APA, 2000, p. 567).

Gender may also pose an additional risk factor for vulnerability of PTSD. Although more men are diagnosed with PTSD, women are more prone to develop it. Eight percent of men develop PTSD while twenty percent of women develop it (Paige, as cited in Karner, 2008). In addition, more women than men experience symptoms of depression (NIHM, 2008).

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder have been an area of research interest that may help provide knowledge of the cognitive psychological aspect of the disorder. For instance, the theory of “Looming Vulnerability” (LV) (Taylor, 2009) may help explain the association of avoidance and emotional numbing associated with PTSD. Looming vulnerability is explained by Taylor as: “humans tend to exhibit fear and avoidance to stimuli that are perceived to be rapidly approaching (looming) compared to stimuli that is perceived to be stationary or receding” (p. 78). When a stimulus is perceived as threatening and rapidly approaching, there is the tendency to overestimate the rapidity with which the danger is approaching. Looming Vulnerability theory also suggests that negative life events may influence people to have high LV, which may make them more vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder (Taylor).

Failure to Receive Mental Health Service

The U.S. military has not always been properly equipped to address the psychiatric needs of military men and woman (Karner, 2008). The earliest treatment by psychiatric specialists was the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). Not until World War 1 did the military begin any type of planning for psychiatric casualties (Bourne, 1970 as cited in Karner). “Early cases of “emotional shock” among men who had not been near explosions were merely written off as 'outright cowardice' or 'lack of moral fiber'” (Bourne, p. 3, as cited in Karner). Then the military decided that shell shock and emotional shock were organic in nature. As a result, “Men deemed emotionally shocked were kept near the forward medical units and treated with painful electric shocks and threats of imprisonment and even execution” (Bourne, as cited in Karner, p. 83). Later the psychiatric community agreed that the emotional state of shell shock men and emotional shock was not organic in nature but neurotic syndrome that resulted from prolonged exposure to violent death (Herman, as cited in Karner).
           
The U.S. military reported high rates of war-related traumatic stress (post-traumatic stress disorder), along with depression symptoms following deployment from Iraq and Afghanistan (Engel et al., 2008).  A U.S. military report stated that a high number of service men and woman fail to receive needed mental health services. One study of deployed Iraq military men and women showed that there was a high level of service men and women who have mental health problems, but that less than half of the military men and women received any mental health service (Engel et al.).

Possible Reasons why Combat Veterans Fail to Seek Mental Health Service

Engel et al. (2008) reported reasons for not receiving mental health service consisted of the “concern for military career, lack of trust of mental health providers, and concerns of what leaders and peers might think” (p. 1). Another theory that may suggest why veterans fail to receive mental health care service has to do with the culture in the U.S. A study by Jobson and O’Kearney (2008) suggested that trauma survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder reported higher self-defining memories and self-cognitions than trauma survivors without PTSD. Research has demonstrated that a significant positive correlation exists between traumatic memory forming and personal identity in relation to the severity of PTSD symptoms (Bernsten & Rubin, 2006, 2007, as cited in Jobson & O’Kearney). What is unique to Bernsten and Rubin's literature is that it suggests that independent cultures and interdependent cultures play a role in the formation of identity. The culture in the U.S. is independent. Yet, wars are fought in groups with high emphasis placed in trusting one's commemorates. Still, independent cultures tend to place social and individual expectations that suggest mental health help is also individualistic. This type of cultural restriction places social limitations for speaking up and getting mental help, and instead, it places barriers for obtaining help and continues to influence oppression.

Effects of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder going Unmanaged

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, when left unmanaged, may lead to subsequent worsening of physical and mental health such as depression, maladaptation, and drug abuse (Engel et al. 2008). People with mental disorders tend to affect other people in their lives such as family members. Mental disorder can place a strain on a marriage, especially if the person with mental disorder has anger issues that can lead to greater drug use and possible spousal abuse. If you are experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or feel overwhelmed at times from experiencing trauma, don't put off talking to someone. Talking to someone can help a person release their emotions or help to reframe the trauma and put things into some sort of perspective that will help a person to cope better. You may think that by avoiding people you’ll feel better, but it can actually make you feel worse because withdrawing from society adds to feeling aloneness.

• Helping yourself with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Help for PTSD involves retraining the brain to cope with the trauma. A step toward coping is to stop believing that you are hopeless. Instead of feeling hopeless, talk to someone about your memories. Find someone to help you problem-solve how you appraise the event, and find social support. Start a support group in your area. These types of actions can help you to cope with the trauma and to create a buffer against post-traumatic stress disorder excelling.