Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a mental disorder, which can occur after a traumatic event outside the range of normal human experience. Symptoms and manifestation of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder vary based on each patient, but the most common symptoms include reliving of the event, hyper vigilance or alertness, insomnia, anger and aggression, reduced social interaction, night terrors and possible flashbacks. There is a vast array of treatments and treatment plans but just as how the symptoms from patient to patient vary so do effective treatments. Currently PTSD is most commonly treated with routine traditional psychotherapy and mediated with medication. There has been significant research done supporting alternative medicine and the military has begun using combined treatments. This paper will give an in-depth look at this mental disorder by first discussing what we do know about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, including the disorder’s history, what is currently understood and future outlook for the disorder. Next we will discuss the psychological symptoms that are associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, including the clinical definition, manifestations, and effects to patient. The third section of this paper will discuss many of the treatments used to treat PTSD, ranging from the traditional psychotherapy to the broad array of alternative treatments available. The final sections of this paper will include a short summary of the topics discussed and my final conclusions.
What Do We Know About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
PTSD is not a new disorder it has existed since the very first major trauma. Even though PTSD can happen to anyone who has experienced a traumatic event this paper will focus on Combat Related PTSD.
“I am blind to beauty for I have seen the ugliness of war, my heart discard my souls an open sore, my spirits broken and my body is not well, for I have seen the smoke and fire and passed through the
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