For many military men and women, the actions of war may not be left on the battl
ID: 3461264 • Letter: F
Question
For many military men and women, the actions of war may not be left on the battlefield. Rather, many military men and women may find themselves addressing symptoms of trauma related to their military experience, otherwise known as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As a result for many returning military, the transition into military duty or civilian life may be a complicated process. Additionally, this transition may also influence the significant relationships of military men and women.
For this Discussion, consider how the presentation of PTSD for active duty military might be complicated by military experience. Using the current literature, consider how PTSD may also affect significant relationships (e.g., family, spouse, and/or significant others).
With these thoughts in mind:
Post an explanation of how the presentation of PTSD for active duty military might be complicated by military experience. Then describe how PTSD might influence a military client's transition into civilian life. Finally, explain how PTSD of military clients may affect their significant relationships.
Explanation / Answer
Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.
(Answer) Discussion – Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is also known as PTSD and used to go by the name “shell-shock” in the mid-1900’s. This was a common disorder noticed amongst the soldiers of both the world wars and other civil unrest around the world. The severe cognitive symptoms of PTSD is what makes it difficult for a military client to present himself for active duty.
The common symptoms of PTSD include:
Anxiety and flashbacks triggered by memories of past events.
Failure to recover after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event.
PTSD can last months or even years if left unchecked.
PTSD alters emotional and physical reactions to great extents.
PTSD can make a patient feel depressed and hence withdrawn from general events. Also, patients tend to avoid the circumstance that may remind them of the event that caused the pain.
PTSD patients can also feel a sense of chronic despair. This, in turn, leads them to neglect their health and daily activities in life.
Each of these patients has varied circumstances of how they were afflicted by PTSD and how they defeated the disorder. Some of these patients have had a fuller home and social life with their family and friends, while others have been more secluded. It can be noticed that there is a difference in the level and immediacy of recovery among those with busier work and social schedules than those who happened to have more time to dwell on their past and their circumstances. Transition into civilian life can be easier to deal with if the patient visits a therapist regularly and if the milieu at home is a positive one. Living alone or being in a depressive situation would worsen the problem and make the transition absolutely unbearable.
PTSD patients generally choose to be detached from their surroundings. However, few of these people have the privilege of having family or friends expose them to uplifting environments. This presumably helps with convalescence. Nevertheless, these patients suffer from bouts of depression, mood swings, nightmares and poor sleep patterns. All of these symptoms tend to make them irascible and hence it might affect their relationships. Getting such patients to adopt psychotherapy is the first step towards fixing the issue.
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