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JulieAnneMarcelo
Mrs.Hayslett
Humanities
4June2015
RecoveringfromthePast
PostTraumaticStressDisorderisthereasonwhy31percentofVietnamveterans,10
percentofGulfWar,11percentofveteransofthewarinAfghanistanand20percentofIraqiwar
veteransarestilltormentedbythehorrorsofwaronthebattlefield(AGrowingEpidemic/
NeuroscienceandPTSDTreatments).TherehasbeenapopularbeliefthatPTSDhasbeen
experiencedthroughouthistorybutsimplywasntproperlyrecognized,(KoerthBaker).
PostTraumaticStressDisorder(PTSD)hasbeenapartofthehumanconditionsinceweevolveas
aspecies,attacksbysabertoothtigershaveprobablyresultedinsimilarsymptomsinthevictim.
PTSDcandevelopfollowingatraumaticeventthatthreatensyoursafetyormakesyoufeel
helpless.TherearemanywaystocurePTSD,however,asstatedinthearticlePTSDPost
TraumaticStressDisorder,,everyoneisdifferentsoatreatmentthatworksforonepersonmay
notworkforanother.SomewaystotreatPTSDarepsychotherapyandmedication.Eventhough
medicationhassideeffectsandpsychotherapycantakeawhiletowork,medicationand
psychotherapyaretwoeffectivewaystotreatPTSDforveteransbecausepsychotherapyhasa
seriesofstepsthatcanslowlyhelpyourecoverwithouthavingthefeelingthatyouarebeing
rushed,psychotherapycanhelpyouexpressyouremotions,andmedicationcanimprove
controllingyoursymptomswhileundergoingapsychotherapysession.


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PsychotherapyisastepbystepprocessonimprovingPTSD.Sometypesofpsychotherapy
usedinPTSDtreatmentinclude:Cognitivetherapy,Exposuretherapy,andEyeMovement
DesensitizationandReprocessing.Cognitivetherapyisatypeoftalktherapythathelpsyou
identifythewaysofthinkingthatarekeepingyoustuckwithnegativeorinaccuratewaysof
perceivingnormalsituations(CognitiveProcessingTherapy).Cognitivetherapyissometimesused
withExposuretherapy.Exposuretherapyisabehavioraltherapythathelpsyousafelyfacewhat
youfindfrighteningsothatyoucanlearntocopewithiteffectively(Grohol).Itisthetechniqueof
exposingthepatienttothefearedobjectwithoutanydanger,inordertoovercometheirPTSD.Eye
MovementDesensitizationandReprocessingcombineswithexposuretherapywithaseriesof
guidedeyemovementsthathelpyouprocesstraumaticmemoriesandchangehowyoureactto
them(EMDR:EyeMovementDesensitizationandReprocessing).Theseeyemovementslowerthe
powerofemotionallychargedmemoriesofpasttraumaticevents.Allthesetherapiescanhelpyou
gaincontroloflastingfearafterashockingincident.Carefullyfollowingastepbystepprocedure
oncopingwithPTSDcangraduallytreatyourcondition.

Psychotherapyortalktherapycanhelpyoulearnaboutyourcondition,yourmoods,
feelings,thoughts,andbehaviorssoyouwillbeabletounderstandyourselfbetterby
communicatingwithapsychiatrist,psychologist,orothermentalhealthproviders.Wehave
emotionsforareason.AccordingtoCherryKendra,apsychologyexpert,ouremotionsgiveus
informationaboutourselvesandthethingsgoingonaroundus.Forexample,fearcantellusthat
wemightbeindangerorsadnesscantellusthatweneedsometimetotakecareofourselves.
ManypeoplewithPTSDtrytogetawayfromtheiremotions.AccordingtoValpone,avoidanceof
emotionsmaymakesomePTSDsymptomsworse.Theemotionsthatyouaretryingtopushaway


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maygrowstronger.Ifyouarefightingyouremotionsback,thentherewillbeapossibilitythatyou
willturnunhealthy.Itisimportanttofindwaystofreeyouremotions.Youwillnotfeelcontent
unlessyoureleasethem,(Valpone).Psychotherapyprovidesyoutheopportunitytoexpressand
understandyouremotions.Lettingyouremotionsgocanleadtolivingameaningfullife.
Medicationcanmakepsychotherapyworkfaster.Medicationssuchasantidepressants,
antipsychoticmedicinesandprazosincanhelpaidPTSDsymptoms.Antidepressantscanhelp
symptomsofdepression,sleepproblemsandconcentration.TheymayalsohelpPTSDsymptoms
suchassadness,worry,anger,andfeelingnumbinside.TheuseofAntidepressantsareapproved
bytheFoodandDrugAdministrationforPTSDtreatment(PostTraumaticStressDisorder
(PTSD)
.
AntipsychoticmedicinesareusefulinthetreatmentofPTSDinthosewhosufferfrom
agitation,dissociation,hypervigilance,intensesuspiciousness,orbeliefpsychoticreactions
(Jeffreys).Prazosincanhelpyouifyoursymptomsincludeinsomniaorrecurrentnightmares.
Prazosinstopssomeoftheeffectsoftheadrenalinereleasedinyourbody.Adrenalineisa
hormonethatcanmakeyoufeelstressedandhavenightmares(Keller).Figuringoutthebest
treatment,withthefewestsideeffects,mayhelpyouseeimprovementsinyourmoodsandother
symptomswhentakingmedication.
TheopposingsidedefendsbyexclaimingthatmedicationisnotacureforPTSD,but
simplypreventitssymptoms(MedicationsforPTSD).Itistruethatmedicationcanonlyimprove
onmanagingsymptoms.However,takingmedicationwillmakeiteasierforthedisordertotreat
withoutanysymptomsbotheringthepatient.Also,dealingwithPTSDmanifestationscanprevent
thepsychiatricillnessfromgettingworseinthefuture.AccordingtoPTSDPostTraumatic
StressDisorderbyNoCostRehab,Ratherthanavoidingthetrauma,medicationwill


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encourageyoutoprocesstheemotionsandsensationsyouarefeeling.MedicationforPTSDwill
helpyourestoreyourselfcontrolandlessenthepowerfulholdofthetraumayouhaveinyourlife.
Although,medicationmaynotbeadefinitecureforPTSD,butitcanmakePTSDsimplertotreat.
Inotherwords,thetreatmentforPTSDmayhavesideeffectsanditcantakeawhileto
begintowork,withenoughpatienceandcooperationwiththeprocedures,ithelpsyoucontrolthe
symptomsthatarelinkedtoyouremotions.Dontletthesideeffectsorthelengthofthetreatment
discourageyou.Asaconcerncitizen,theresidentsoftheUnitedStatesofAmericamustaddress
theconditionsofPTSDvictims.Todothis,AmericansmustraiseawarenessforPostTraumatic
StressDisordersincemostofthevictimsaretheoneswhoservethecountry.Inordertoachievea
peacefulsociety,thecitizensoftheUnitedStatesmusteducatethemselvesaboutPTSDandhelp
itsvictimsbylearningaboutthedisordersothattheycanrelatetowhattheyaregoingthroughand
knowwhattoexpect.Second,makingthemfeelthattheyarenotlostandnotalonebytakingan
activeroleintheirrecoverybyleadingacounselingsessionforpeoplethatarefacingPTSD,so
thattheycanspeakoutabouttheiremotions.Lastly,bybeingunderstanding,supportiveandnot
beingignoranttowardstheirpsychiatricillness.


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