Mrs. Post
English IV
23 October 2013
PTSD; The Battle Wounds You Can’t See “I engaged the enemy in numerous gun battles. I was close to someone that was killed or injured. Fear and death were all around me. The military even had me plan for my own death I was numb inside. When I returned home, did you really expect me to pick up from where I left off?” (Combat PTSD) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is one of the most overlooked stressed related diseases of all time. PTSD can affect anyone after an event or a series of events that threatens your life or others; causing intense fear, horror, and since of hopelessness. People who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can often have a short attention span, making them unable to sit for long periods of time. Victims of PTSD find it hard to stay focused on normal, everyday activities. Almost anything can trigger an anxiety attack. PTSD affects the mind, causing a victim to be on constant edge. People with PTSD often find themselves feeling as if they are re-living a traumatic event, causing them to be unable to focus on the present. PTSD is a whole body tragedy inside humans that causes enormous difficulties in everyday life. My uncle, who is a retired United States Navy Veteran, spent 25 years traveling around the world and in many war situations. He finds himself getting side tracked all the time. There are many times he finds himself in situations he doesn’t remember getting himself into. One second he is working on paying bills, then the next he is staring into space, not thinking at all. He told me that he use to think it was impossible to not think at all. Yet, it is common when you have a mental disease that controls your life. Everyone has their own priorities to worry about, their own problems they need to block out; but with PTSD the exhaustion does it for them. Victims of PTSD find the numbness that comes with being exhausted normal. They live in chaos that only exists in their head.
Cited: David. "Brain Affected in Ptsd." CNSforum. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. <http://www.cnsforum.com/imagebank/item/Neuro_biol_PTSD/default.aspx>. O’Hara, Andy. "NATIONAL CENTER for PTSD Home." NATIONAL CENTER for PTSD Home. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. <http://www.ptsd.va.gov/>. Schirald, Glenn. "The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery, and Growth [Paperback]." The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery, and Growth: Glenn Schiraldi: 9780071614948: Amazon.com: Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. <http://www.amazon.com/The-Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder-Sourcebook/dp/007161494X>. Print Wood, David. “Combat Veterans With PTSD, Anger Issues More Likely To Commit Crimes: New Report, “The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 09 Oct. 2012. Web. 28. 2013