Combat Ptsd

Combat PTSD

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COM/156

July 28th 2013

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Combat PTSD

For many armed service Veterans, combat Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is a battle unlike any they have ever witnessed before. PTSD is a mental disorder that usually follows a traumatic event in one’s life. Some examples of traumatic events would be: Sexual abuse, physical violence, car accidents or fires, natural disasters, death of a friend or relative. In the case of a combat Veteran, some examples of traumatic events would be witnessing the death of an ally or friend in warfare or proximity explosions. Regardless of the way this disorder is created, the effects on daily living are nothing short of debilitating. Rothbaum, Rizzo, and Difede (2010) describes PTSD as a chronic condition that occurs in people that have experienced traumatic, life-threating events. The characterization of PTSD is exhibited in the fear of re-experiencing these events or by avoiding instances where these events are likely to have a chance to re-occur. It is also noted that PTSD has affected nearly 18% of returning Veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Many Veterans with this disorder develop drug and alcohol abuse problems, hoping that the answer to all of their problems will come from drowning everything in alcohol or by getting too high to feel anything. As unfortunate as this disorder is, if left untreated, more serious consequences are capable of reaching the already crowded thoughts of those suffering from combat PTSD. The rate of suicide among combat Veterans with PTSD is alarming. According to Department of Veteran Affairs (2012), "Veterans comprised approximately 22.2% of all suicides reported during the project period.” (p. 15, para. 2 Suicide among Veterans - As Reported on Death Certificates) While the study lasted over a span of 5 years, the ratio 22.2% recorded and

reported to the study determined that Veterans were likely to be suffering from some type of internal conflict. More recent...