Brian McCluskey
Psychology
Bryant and Stratton College
PSTD, the under addressed demon we battle.
One of the most difficult and most elusive war inflicted hardships to deal with are those involving psychological disorders or afflictions. These particular war related traumas are not ones that can be touched, amputated, surgically removed, or sutured. Yet to those inflicted the pain and suffering is just as tremendous. Yet, psychological disorders resulting from an individual’s involvement in combat are as real as any other type of war related injury. The psychological wounds of war present a situation where individuals are often times forgotten, unaddressed, and underappreciated-especially those who are suffering from the posttraumatic stress syndrome, they are also struggling with the transition back to normal life and work.
Literature Review: PSTD Defined. Examining the impact of military trauma on a veteran’s life remains in an infant stage with respect to knowing all that must garnered (Sutker, 1995). Accountability, sustainability, and treatment are far from being complete. Not only do diagnostic and treatment paradigms need to be made available to those veterans who suffer from PTSD, but a support system must be identified and structured to as well. Family and friends have to learn that they must be proactive in their understanding and support of the military veteran who have been diagnosed with PTSD disorder.
Notwithstanding the fact that people who have been in military combat and suffer from PTSD, there has been reported a direct relationship between the disorder and negative physical health as well such as non-specific ECH abnormalities and atrioventricular defects and infarctions. (Jankowski, 2004). Although not extensively researched there are indications that PTSD is related to some gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal dysfunctions as well. However, the psychological factors resulting from
References: Babbel, S. (2012, September 12). Somatic Psychology. Psychology Today. Retrieved December 2, 2013, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/somatic-psychology/201208/students-ptsd Bremner, J Comer, Ronald J. Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology. 4th ed. Worth Publishers (2005). Hoge, C., Terhakopian, A., Castro, C., Messer, S., & Engel, C. (2007). Association of posttraumatic stress disorder with somatic symptoms, health care visits, and absenteeism among Iraq war veterans. Am J Psychiatry, 164(1), 150-153. Samuelson, K. W. (2011). Post-traumatic stress disorder and declarative memory functioning: a review. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 13(3), 346-351.