PTSD in Veterans

Imagine finally finding safety in an abandon rabbit hole with your best friend as shots are
firing all over your helmet; the shots never stop so you fall asleep and wake up to your best
friend headless. Individuals who experience war witness their closest friends amputated and even
death in a gruesome and terrifying way; people involved in the armed forces go through these
types of scenarios every time the step foot in a war zone when it is time to fight for their country.
The transition from being in service to being back home is a difficult and -usually- results in
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A very large portion of veterans suffer from PTSD but
only a few actually get treated for it. The epidemic of PTSD in veterans not only affects the
veteran but also their families; not knowing how to cope with it could have repugnant
consequences. There are a number of programs, charities and medications that can help PTSD
that only a few veterans and their families know about. In addition to the help veterans can get,
the loved ones they have can also be taught how to help their veteran live healthier lives and
function more effectively in the real world.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is developed when an individual goes through a negative
experience that is life threatening or makes the feel helpless. Anyone who has gone through
something traumatic can experience PTSD but it is usually associated with veterans. PTSD can
come from a wide range of traumatic events. Some causes of PTSD include: combat or military
exposure, child sexual or physical abuse, terrorist attacks, sexual or physical assault, serious
accidents or natural disasters. Not every person that has been through a horrible experience
reacts the same and sometimes their reactions are temporary which is a normal reaction and this
means they dont have PTSD. According to help guide, a non-profit organization specializing in
PTSD, With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, however, [ the victim] remains in psychological
shock (Segal, Smith, 2015), which means they will never get over what has happened to them;

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they eventually learn to live with the fact that it happened but they never psychologically go back
to how they were before. Normal responses to traumatic events are similar to signs of PTSD but
for most people these symptoms are short lived (Segal, Smith, 2015); these symptoms include:
safety and trust issues, crazy feelings (the individual feels as if they are going insane), feeling
disconnected and numb, having bad dreams, feeling paranoid and difficulty thinking about
something that is not the event.
Not every person that suffers from PTSD gets the proper help but according to the mayo
clinic staff, individuals from a trusted hospital, getting effective treatment after PTSD
symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function (2014). The
symptoms of PTSD are commonly grouped into four types, they include: intrusive memories,
avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood and changes in emotional reaction. Intrusive
memories are are unwanted memories about the event that are reoccuring. They also include
reliving the event in flashbacks, having upsetting dreams and severe emotional stress or physical
reactions. Avoidance is a word that generally represents that the individual tries to ignore the fact
that they have been through a traumatizing experience; this type includes trying to avoid thinking
or talking about the event and avoiding places, activities that are reminders of it. Negative
changes in thinking and mood is basically when the person begins to become depressed; this
means the individual has negative feelings about themselves and other people, inability to
experience positive emotions, feeling emotionally numb, a lack of interest in activities once
enjoyed, hopelessness about the future, memory problems (including recalling important aspects
of the traumatic event) and difficulty maintaining close relationships. This category is the most
relevant because it affects a person mentally which makes it hard for a person to function outside
of their home and with other people that care for them like family and friends. The last category

PTSD in Veterans

is a change in emotional reactions; this means the person becomes irritable and angry easier and
has random outburst of such, they are always on guard for danger (paranoia), they have an
overwhelming feeling of guilt and shame, they become self-destructive like drinking too much or
driving too fast, they have trouble concentrating, trouble sleeping and they are usually easily
frightened.
Veterans have a hard time not experiencing symptoms of PTSD because of what they
witnessed while in service. There are many areas where a veteran can be exposed to a
traumatizing event. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, The wars in
Afghanistan and Iraq are the longest combat operations since Vietnam (2014), which means the
individuals who are involved have to shoot to kill people they do not know, witness their fellow
soldiers get hurt or killed and/or even get hurt themselves; no human being should be witnessing
any of the things veterans do and they have to deal with it everyday while in Afghanistan and
Iraq. Military Sexual Trauma (MST) is another common cause of PTSD in veterans; MST refers
to sexual assault that a veteran may experience while they are in service. This usually is a
repeated action by the antagonist while the victim in held against his/her will. This may happen
when the veteran is not stable; for example, they could be intoxicated after an event their branch.
MST includes touching the victim, making sexual remarks about the victims body and any
sexual advances. While in war, PTSD symptoms are milder than what they become when the
veteran leaves service because there is not a large enough distraction to keep their minds off of
the event; symptoms of PTSD become more prevalent when the veteran goes back home. PTSD
does not go away, many older Veterans find they have PTSD symptoms even 50 or more years
after their wartime experience (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2014). Because of the
media, there could be constant reminders of the traumatizing event that the veteran went through

PTSD in Veterans

on the news, in movies or shows and even in music; any of these instances can trigger violent
reactions, depression or any more of the symptoms previously stated.
The veterans with PTSD are not the only ones affected by the disorder; there is also an
impact on their families. Because of the way PTSD makes an individual react, it makes that
person hard to live and get along with. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs explain that there
are six common reactions family members experience when dealing with a veteran with PTSD
which include: sympathy, having negative feelings, avoiding the person, being depressed, feeling
angry and guilty and/or having health problems. Some family members of the veteran may feel
sympathy for them which leads them to treating them like they are disabled which is not the best
way to react because that is not the type of support and treatment the veteran needs. When loved
ones begin having negative feelings it comes from them feeling like their veteran is a complete
different person than what they remember of them before they went to war. Avoiding the veteran
is doing just that; not all loved ones know how to handle an individual with PTSD and know how
to support them so they just avoid the situation all together. The family member feeling
depression may come from feelings of hopelessness; the family member may begin to figure
their veteran will never get back to normal (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs). Feelings of
anger and guilt comes from the fact that the family member cannot help their veteran and they
feel bad for that and that the veteran ever had to go through what they went through while in
service. Health problems usually are relevant in individuals living with the veteran because they
become stressed which may result in alcohol or drug abuse. A lot of the family symptoms are
similar to the symptoms of the veteran with PTSD which means the family needs as much help
as the veteran.

PTSD in Veterans

There are many traumatic stories of veterans and their experiences while in the service.
U.S. Marine Corps reserve Vietnam war veteran, Graves, came back from war and developed a
drinking problem, felt angry and had constant flashbacks. Because of this, Gravess first
marriage ended and often found himself in legal problems and trying to escape them. Graves
explained that every body you picked up on the [combat] field you knew and he would be
picking up the bodies of his war brothers which made it hard for him to transition back to
home when his service was over. When he came back home from service, he would get drunk in
bars and often start fights; he was admitted into the VA mental hospital but was then transferred
to the Philadelphia VA hospital where he was given the help that he needed. In the midst of all
this, Graves met a woman who eventually became his wife and helped him through this process
of becoming a better person and dealing with his PTSD. Unfortunately, she died in his arms but
now he helps veterans who are in the same situation he went through (Make The Connection,
2011). U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Max, symptoms of PTSD and reaction to his experience in the
service were similar to Graves; he resulting to alcohol to numb the pain, he explains, he always
felt angry and developed problems with his family and isolated himself. He went to the VA
hospital and began treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and PTSD. TBI is often associated
with PTSD in veterans because it is common for veterans to have both. TBI occurs when a
persons brain is physically injured; in the military, it is often a result of a concussive blast of
explosion. There are different levels and symptoms; immediately after the victim may feel dazed
and confused, they may not remember the event and/or lose consciousness. Long term symptoms
of TBI include, but are not limited to, loss of balance, changes in sleep pattern, sensitivity to light
and noise and short term memory loss. Maxs combat group was blown up 12 times and he was
knocked unconscious nine out of those 12 times which resulted in his TBI in addition to the

PTSD in Veterans

things he witnessed while in combat. when he came back he felt his family didnt understand
what he went through and large crowds made him feel overwhelmed and he felt like something
bad would happen. Max went to the VA hospital in Philadelphia which he explained helped a lot.
There he received a lot of one on one help which made it easier for him to interact with his loved
ones again. He decided to go back school where he had to relearn a lot because of the PTSD and
TBI combined. Because of his treatment in the VA hospital, Max was able to become a better
spouse and loved one as well as a senior at a university on honor roll (Make The Connection,
2011).
Men are not the only ones who suffer from trauma while in service. As stated before,
women who suffer from PTSD commonly fall under the category of having MST. U.S. Coast
Guard veteran Nadine and U.S. Air Force veteran Misty are women who suffer from PTSD with
MST. Nadine is a veteran who served in the Desert era. She was sexually harassed multiple times
in Coast Guard. The first instance was with her Senior Chief in his office; she did not report it
because she felt and knew that no one would believe her because they were alone. The second
instance was with another senior chief and everyone laughed. Nadine felt overwhelmed and
hopeless and tried to commit suicide a couple months later while still in service. She was first
diagnosed with major depression but was later then diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD.
After leaving Coast Guard, Nadine participated in womens groups at a vet center as well as
counseling and cognitive-behavioral therapy (Make The Connection, 2011). Mistys situation is a
lot like Nadines; she is a veteran who was raped by a fellow airman. She suffered from
nightmares and flashbacks and always felt on edge and angry. When Misty got back from service
she suffered from paranoia -constantly checking locks and doors-, avoidance and self-blame. She
explained how she felt herself breaking down so she decided to seek help. Misty tried

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treatment while in service but she realized that would not help because there were too many
triggers around her. Her treatment at home was much more helpful because one on one help and
being around people with the same issue helped her make the disorder easier to handle. Misty
also resulted to self-help; she has something called a gratitude journal where she writes what
she is grateful for. She also takes 30 minutes out the day to write down her worries; she explains
how she tries to change her way of thinking (Make The Connection, 2011).
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is not something that is curable but it is treatable so that
the victim learns to better handle the disorder. There are many different ways PTSD can be
treated and "the sooner PTSD is confronted the easier it is to overcome" (Segal, Smith, 2015).
Treatment for PTSD explores the thoughts and feelings from the trauma, works through the selfblame, mistrust and/or guilt PTSD administers, addresses issues PTSD has caused in the veterans
life internally and with other people and the veteran also learns how to control intrusive
memories as well as cope with them. According to Help Guide (2015), a trusted organization ran
by PTSD specialist, one way to treat PTSD is with "trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral
therapy"; this involves the veteran gradually exposing themselves to the situation which includes
the thoughts and feelings the situation brings. In this type of therapy, the veteran will be faced
with a series of things that brings memories of the event; the veteran will not be overwhelmed
with this because it is a slower process than it appears to be. Family therapy is also a solution to
PTSD because it is important for the veterans family to understand what the veteran is going
through and support them in getting through it; this usually consist of the veteran and their
families going to private sessions with a therapist and discussing the the veterans thoughts and
feelings as well as the thoughts and feelings of the family members (Sidran, 2014). Sometimes a
veterans doctor will prescribe medication for them to take; most medications given are

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antidepressants which does not address all the symptoms of PTSD but does treat the sadness and
guilt aspect of the disorder. Another treatment of PTSD is called Eye Movement Desensitization
and Reprocessing; this treatment helps the brain unfreeze the information processing system
which is usually interrupted by a traumatic or extremely stressful event (Help Guide, 2015).
The use of self-help in people with PTSD can go a long way. There are many ways a
victim of PTSD can help themselves cope with their symptoms. One option is changing the
lifestyle previously lived before going into the military. Although some relationships between the
veteran and their loved ones may become strained after war for many different reasons, it is
important for the veteran to try to be as involved in personal relationships as they can be because
it can result in a confidence boost and the veteran will be able to have more fun and enjoy their
life. It is also helpful if the veteran has more contact with individuals who are suffering from
PTSD as well; if they see that other people have the same difficulties as they do, they will not
feel so alone; this is one of the reasons why VA Medical Centers exist, to connect wounded
warriors -physically and mentally- to other wounded warriors. Exercising more can also help
veterans with PTSD because it reduces physical tension and takes the veterans mind off of what
happened to them.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood where the crime rate is not
sky high; if a veteran with PTSD lives in a dangerous neighborhood, it is recommended that they
move. PTSD can cause extreme paranoia, so living in an area that would make a regular person
paranoid would be much worse for a person with PTSD. When a veteran with PTSD volunteers
in their community, it makes the victim feel like they are a positive aspect to the community and
makes them feel wanted which is why volunteering is suggested to veterans. It is imperative the
the victim steers clear of alcohol and drugs; while these things may relieve some stress and can

PTSD in Veterans

be comforting, the distraction is temporary with unpredictable results and also damages the body.
There is also a free app, for iphone and android, available for the victim to help them learn about
and manage PTSD symptoms (Help Guide, 2015).
In addition to self-help, sometimes, PTSD victims need support from people going
through the same issues that they face. Peer support groups is a great way for the veteran to not
feel so alone and to let off some steam. Peer support groups for veterans with PTSD are usually
found in VA medical centers but some do offer online support. In these support groups, the
victim is able to express their feelings and everyday issues; it is usually a group discussion taking
turns speaking as they sit in a circle. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs,
sharing [stories] with others may help [the victim] feel more comfortable talking about [their]
trauma (2014), and it may help to listen to other people talk about their experiences with a
similar trauma (2014). When participating in a support group, the veteran will learn how to
handle everyday issues, meet new people and develop new relationships and hear different
perspectives regarding what they are going through. It is important for the victim to be able to
trust again after the trauma so the have someone to confide in; these groups teach the victim to
trust others again and how to ask for help and support when they need it.
Owning an animal can be very therapeutic because most domesticated animals are able to
sense what their owner is going through and adjust their behavior to the owners. Dogs are the
best type of domesticated animal for veteran who suffers from PTSD because of the loyalty and
companionship they tend to provide. Dogs can bring out feelings of love and are usually fun to
be around. Dogs also take orders well when they are trained properly; this can be very helpful to
a veteran who was a general in the military because they are use to giving orders. Because dogs
require a lot of outside time, they give their owner the opportunity to go out, meet and interact

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with new people at dog parks, in pet store, etc. Dogs are a great distraction from PTSD
symptoms but according to the national center for PTSD, "they are not a substitute for effective
PTSD treatment" (2014). The War Dogs Making It Home organization trains and properly pairs a
dogs with veterans with PTSD. The dogs are specially trained to help their owner cope with
PTSD symptoms in all different types of scenarios like comforting their veteran when they hear
loud sounds and get paranoid or having to become more social when taking their dog for a walk
to the dog park. A veteran with PTSD can receive a service dog is an emotional support dog. A
service dog is specially trained for a veteran with a disability; they are trained to complete tasks
that their owner cannot complete on their own. Emotional support dogs give the veteran
friendship and companionship; these dogs don't usually need special training because they are
able to pick up on their owner's vibe and cater to how they are feeling.
Medical help is always an option. When the veteran is first diagnosed with PTSD, their
doctor may prescribe an antidepressant which is commonly used for individuals with PTSD.
Their doctors may suggest personal therapy sessions as well; it is important for the veteran to
find the right therapist that they are comfortable talking to. Requesting the right kind of therapist
based on gender, looks or educational status is actually very helpful; female veterans who suffer
from MST may be more comfortable talking to a female therapist rather than a male so it is vital
that the victim thinks about and requests the types of therapist they want.
PTSD doesn't only affect the victim, it also has an impact on the veteran's family.
Because of the common symptoms of PTSD, family members don't know how to deal with them
properly. Family members tend to find comfort in drugs and alcohol because of their straining
relationship they have to deal with because of their veteran's disorder. Loved ones usually
become stressed, angry and/or depressed which is why it is highly recommended that loved ones

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get therapy along with their veteran. According to the Faculty of Health Sciences at the
University of Western Ontario, "emotional withdrawal from family support creates a struggle
with healing from trauma" (2009), therefore, in order for the veteran to heal properly, it is of
paramount importance that the loved ones of the veteran receives help to learn how to support
the victim. Family therapy is suggested and, as stated before, it is also suggested that the
families, including the veteran, choose the right type of therapist. The Sidran Organization
explains that "the process of choosing a helpful therapist takes some time, thought, and focus"
(2014), so looking for a therapist for the veteran's family unit should be a careful search; while
the search is in process it is still important for the families to get their veteran individual help.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is commonly overlooked but is a very serious disorder to
have. Most veterans are diagnosed with PTSD when they return home from war because of what
they had to witness and experience everyday during their service. PTSD can get extreme and
should be addressed as soon as symptoms start to show up. Veterans risk their lives for America,
the least American citizens can do is make sure veterans get the proper help when returning
home.

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