Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In The Military

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD in the military is very common. Originally, it was called Shell Shock. It was called that because soldiers were seen as a reaction to the explosion of artillery. Originally, shell shock was thought to be the result of hidden damage to the brain that was caused by the impact of the big guns. Treatment back then was giving the soldiers just a few days of rest.

When you are in combat, you see and do things that a civilian never gets to witness. A solider can suffer a life threatening injury that can trigger PTSD or even their experiences in training can stick with a soldier.

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

PTSD is a psychological response to the experience of intense traumatic events, particularly those that threaten life. It can affect veterans of any age, culture or gender. Although we have started to hear a lot more about it in recent years, the condition has been known to exist at least since the times of ancient Greece and has been called by many different names. In the American Civil War, it was referred to as "soldier's heart;" in the First World War, it was called "shell shock" and in the Second World War, it was known as "war neurosis." Many soldiers were labelled as having "combat fatigue" when experiencing symptoms associated with PTSD during combat. In the Vietnam War, this became known as a "combat stress reaction." Some of these veterans continued on to develop what became known, in 1980, as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Traumatic stress can be seen as part of a normal human response to intense experiences. In the majority of veterans, the symptoms reduce or disappear over the first few months, particularly with the help of caring family members and friends. In a significant minority, however, the symptoms do not seem to resolve quickly and, in some cases, may continue to cause problems for the rest of the person's life. It is also common for symptoms to vary in intensity over time. Some veterans go for long periods without any significant problems, only to relapse when they have to deal with other major life stress. In rare cases, the symptoms may not appear for months, or even years, after the trauma.

A traumatic event is different for everyone. It depends on the person’s experience. For veterans, their trauma comes from an experience that only veterans can understand. They lose friends in dangerous situations, or they’ve been close to death themselves.  

PTSD comes in many forms. Depending on the person, someone can have all or just a few symptoms of PSTD.

Intrusive Symptoms are memories, like images, smells, sounds and feelings of a traumatic event. Those memories take the veteran back in time. They are reliving the memory, having flashbacks. Having nightmares is common. Someone can get upset when they are reminded of the past. Physical symptoms can also happen like sweating, increased heart and muscle tension when someone gets reminded of a trauma event.

Avoidance/Numbing Symptoms are situations where someone will often avoid anything that will trigger a memory. It could people or an event. They will cut themselves away from the situation that will bring on those memories. They will withdraw from family and friends. They don’t want to talk or think about it. They want to be able to shut out that memory and the less attention they bring to it, the less they have to deal with it. They have gaps in memory, lose interest in things that once brought them joy. They will have a hard time imagining a future.

When a veteran experiences trauma, they are trying to make sense of what happened. With high level of stress, thoughts and feelings tend to be pushed away to protect the veteran from distress. 

Mental health struggles isn’t the only thing associated with PTSD. There are lot of physical elements that come with it. A lot of veterans will try and hide behind alcohol and drugs to cope. They will have moments of anger and have outbursts. Depression and anxiety play a key role in PTSD.

Veterans will get into a depressed state and not want to socialize with other people. 50% of veterans who suffer with chronic PTSD will have depression. PTSD will bring the feelings of guilt, shame and remorse. They will have survivors’ guilt. They wonder way they were able to walk away when some many of their friends didn’t. They tend to blame themselves for what happened. They get the feeling that they had a life worth living and you were the one that should have been killed.

Symptoms of PTSD aren’t always intense. If an anniversary is coming, symptoms may be worse because of the memory of that day, or an argument may be a trigger or someone. Talking to someone who you may not know be something that could help to relieve symptoms.

Being a veteran and going through all that they go through is really hard not just on them, but for everyone. They become someone their not. There is something trauma specialists call “dual awareness.” It means the recognition that there is a difference between your “experiencing self” and your “observing self.” On the one hand, there is your internal emotional reality: you feel as if the trauma is currently happening. On the other hand, you can look to your external environment and recognize that you’re safe. You’re aware that despite what you’re experiencing, the trauma happened in the past. It is not happening now.

When having these symptoms, veterans have to remind themselves that they are safe and that what is happening is not real. They have to remember that what they are experiencing in the moment is in the past. It’s not happening in real time.

It takes a lot of support when it comes to having a veteran in your life. It’s not going to be easy. You won’t understand the experience or understand what is going through their head. All you really can do for them is to stand by them and help them feel safe. You have to meet them at their level. It’s going to take a lot of patience.

It takes a lot of courage to be in the military. There’s a lot of fear of the unknown. It’s not only a physical job, but it’s also a mental job. Being part of the military is lifelong even decades after retiring. There’s going to be things that you’ve witnessed and experienced that are going to stay with you forever. It’s not going to be easy to forget those memories, but with support and the right treatment, you can control and manage those thoughts and feelings. Help is never far. There are other veterans that know exactly what you been through. Rely on each other. Be someone’s support. It only takes one person to make a change, be that change.

Thank You for everyone for your service.