PTSD In The Military Essay

PTSD is relatively common among those suffering from mental illness, however, a staggering rate of those with PTSD have served in the military. Many soldiers develop PTSD due to the extreme nature of their job, so it is a prevalent subject among soldiers. Soldiers are subject to bloodshed, the bright lights and the boom of a bomb, and high steaks situations, all leading to PTSD. Soldiers who have PTSD can struggle with civilian life due to everyday occurrences being possible triggers like dogs barking, certain TV show scenes, and fireworks. People with PTSD’s families and friends can also be affected by knowing someone struggling. PTSD has been around as long as people have been put in traumatic situations, but it was first noted in WWI as

Many soldiers experienced gruesome, traumatizing events during World War II, but many men were judged if they appeared to show signs of what people now call PTSD. Many men were greatly affected than what met the eye, “Sympathy was only rarely forthcoming. Sufferers had no choice but to acknowledge that their reputations as soldiers and men had been dealt a severe blow. After a major bombardment or particularly bloody attack, if the combatant had acquitted himself adequately, signs of emotional 'weakness' could be overlooked, but in the midst of the fray, the attitude was much less sympathetic.” (Bourke P. 4) Overlooking signs of the trauma of these soldiers affected their well-being and morale. However, the hidden trauma this generation of soldiers experienced allowed the next to start to fix these problems. As time progressed, so did perceptions of PTSD. Starting in Vietnam, the U.S. military finally started to validate soldiers' trauma and any of the effects of PTSD. Many American soldiers during Vietnam were not prepared for the bloodshed and atrocities during the Vietnamese war, which is why The National Vietnam War Museum stated: “Military medicine finally conceded that it wasn’t a question of “if” a soldier would break in combat, but a question of when.” (Decures 10). Once the military acknowledged that soldiers might get

The Korean War is often overlooked for WWII or Vietnam. This war did shine a light on the lack of PTSD treatment; “The absence of attention to the long-term effects of disorders related to combat trauma and the cultural expectations for stoicism suggest that PTSD among aging World War II veterans may also have gone underrecognized and undertreated.” (Barton 8) Many of the soldiers in the Korean War also fought in WWII. Being brought back to a war setting often triggered soldiers. Treatment was still lacking during the Korean War but did improve by the time Vietnam rolled around. By the time the Iraq and Afghanistan wars came around, PTSD and other mental disorders were well-known and treated in the military. A 2014 study suggests that out of 1,000 subjects, all from the Iraq or Afghanistan War tested 89% tested positive for PTSD (McCarron abstract). Where in the past treatment consisted of therapists and psychologists, now the military is looking for active treatment as well. Active treatment will attempt to bring the rates of PTSD down by psychologists talking to and treating veterans while they are deployed. The treatment of PTSD has made great advancements from being almost taboo to talk about 75 years ago, to now the military looking forward to actively treating soldiers that have not developed PTSD in hopes they do not develop