Typically, PTSD is defined as a mental illness that directly results from anxiety-related symptoms that follow a stressful experience. Natural disasters like floods, which are caused by heavy rain, are one example of this. These events can cause PTSD in certain people, causing them to react badly to different external stimuli like storms, movies of flooding, or other examples (Carmassi et al., 2020). Constant Re-experiencing manifests as recurrent flashbacks to the traumatic incident that cause extreme tension and worry or the psychological counterpart of these feelings. This ailment frequently manifests as the direct outcome of many causes. This may be shown in the case of the example mentioned above when the memory was triggered by seeing visuals of floods or rain.
In this situation, a traumatic occurrence causes the person involved to feel extreme fear, suffer significant injuries, or have a real chance of dying. Such experiences are believed to be crucial for the onset of PTSD because they leave a lasting psychological “scar” that interacts with the brain’s fear and anxiety systems to produce the different PTSD symptoms (Carmassi et al., 2020). It should be emphasized that several researches have yet to establish what exactly qualifies as a painful enough experience to result in PTSD.
It appears that what constitutes “traumatic” differs from person to person; for example, a severe automobile accident, a war, or a near-death experience, may not result in PTSD symptoms in one person but may in another who has experienced a similar incident. For instance, numerous people with similar experiences were recognized as being entirely normal within a few hours at a rehab clinic, much as PTSD develops differently in diverse people (as evidenced in the case of returning U.S. soldiers from Iraq). First responders’ mental health outcomes have received more attention in the past 20 years, especially in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which highlighted the dangers they face when working in emergencies (Carmassi et al., 2020). Burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by frequent or extensive exposure to the unpleasant elements of traumatic experiences may be recognized as potentially traumatic events, according to the DSM-5, because physical and mental diseases may impact them.
A noticeable separation from people, social events, and activities that were once considered enjoyable is a sign of emotional numbness common to people with PTSD. Additionally, it appears as a sort of seclusion or a condition of withdrawal in which those affected are insensitive to outside stimuli (Carmassi et al., 2020). This specific PTSD symptom emerges as a permanent level of alertness that makes it difficult to fall asleep and causes constant anxiety. It can moreover take the shape of hypervigilance. Such a condition is believed to result immediately from a traumatic incident, with the necessity for ongoing alertness and attention imprinted on the mind. Experts disagree on whether this particular element of PTSD has its roots in a suppressed evolutionary response mechanism (i.e., the constant watchfulness shown by herbivores while keeping an eye out for predators) or if the disease is just a sort of anxiety syndrome.
Through patient education, patients are provided with relevant information that enables them to alter their behavior and improve their mental health. This method frequently includes assisting patients in understanding their present situation, how it negatively affects their mental and physical health, and the steps they may take to improve (Carmassi et al., 2020). It should be highlighted, however, that since all treatment options create a range of outcomes, it is not a question of which approach results in the optimum treatment outcome (Maguen et al., 2019). Clinical psychologists have instead demonstrated that integrating all therapies rather than using the following therapy strategies separately typically has a more favorable impact.
After experiencing a startling, terrifying, or deadly incident, some persons may acquire post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Fear is a normal emotion both during and after a terrible event. Fear causes the body to go through several split-second modifications that aid in defending against or avoiding danger. An illustration of this is the military setting, where troops sadly live with PTSD on a daily basis. As a result, it is possible to comprehend PTSD better by taking into account the military community.
Additionally, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which the nature of the specific occupation may cause, affects veterans regularly. Veterans are more prone to experience stressful situations that might cause abnormal alterations in perception. However, it is essential to remember that veterans are not only less capable or permanently damaged people. The idea of recovery, which is made possible through intentional assistance, is the key motivating factor (Maguen et al., 2019). Therefore, veterans are not damaged since PTSD is only a response to a stressful occurrence (Carmassi et al., 2020). Stress might legitimately be regarded as one of the emblems of this period. One of the key components of this idea is the problem of traumatic stress or posttraumatic stress disorder as it is known in international classifications. In other words, it happens frequently and is worse in particular occupations, like the military.
It will likely take years before the entire psychological impacts of these recent armed wars are recognized. Of the 2.6 million soldiers sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, more than 1.7 million have returned to civilian life. An additional one million are anticipated to do so during the following five years (Mobbs & Bonanno, 2018). It is challenging to discreetly identify, track, and compare impacted at-risk populations during and after such lengthy military deployments, given the wide range of service commitment durations (Mobbs & Bonanno, 2018). Even more troubling, present therapies for returning veterans have exclusively concentrated on severe psychopathology and often just on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, despite the impending uncertainty of future treatment requirements (PTSD).
Furthermore, the passage of time after the traumatic occurrence does not make these issues disappear. War trauma often worsens combat trauma’s psychosocial and mental effects (Carmassi et al., 2020). The degree of the stressor element is crucial to the emergence and progression of posttraumatic stress disorder. It is moreover possible to link the person’s propensity for victimization, premorbid personality traits, sensitivity to trauma, and other negative traits (Mobbs & Bonanno, 2018). The fact that there are now few treatments available for veterans with PTSD does not imply that they will always be negatively affected. The primary explanation is that specific methods enhanced the veterans’ well-being. One of the critical issues facing modern psychiatry is the mental health of military soldiers fighting in small-scale conflicts (Carmassi et al., 2020). Numerous researches has examined the clinical, psychopathological, therapeutic, and rehabilitative aspects of battle mental trauma as well as its medical and societal repercussions.
Many of the issues surrounding posttraumatic stress disorders are still unsolved, despite scientists’ growing interest in finding a cure. However, there are signs that specific interventions, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction approaches, can dramatically enhance the general mental health of service members and veterans. To put it another way, PTSD is not a permanent impairment. Consequently, the route to recovery is difficult (Mobbs & Bonanno, 2018). The importance of life events and a person’s response to a dangerous circumstance are two psychological dimensions of stress that must be highlighted while furthermore considering moral principles, religious beliefs, and other worldviews (Mobbs & Bonanno, 2018). The body’s physiological state at the time of injury is regarded to be a pathogenesis-based factor, particularly bodily fatigue in the context of a deviation from the regular eating and sleeping schedules (Mobbs & Bonanno, 2018). In the early stages of PTSD development at the level of acute stress disorders and later in the backdrop of the actual clinical symptoms of PTSD, these and several other variables are important.
Pharmacotherapy is a form of therapy that employs the administration of medications to address the dire mental circumstances that occur from PTSD symptoms. Mild sedatives, anti-depressants, and other types of psychotropic drugs are frequently used to treat sudden “episodes” of PTSD as they happen (Maguen et al., 2019). A skilled psychotherapist and the patient meet one-on-one during psychotherapy or occasionally in a group setting (Carmassi et al., 2020). These particular treatments frequently involve identifying the factors that set off instances of reliving and making an effort to address these problems by gradually separating from the incident until it no longer causes as much stress. This specific therapy approach moreover includes using various coping skills to lower the level of anxiety brought on by PTSD.
In conclusion, soldiers who face the unexpected consequences of demanding professions often struggle with PTSD. One can contend that veterans’ conditions should be viewed as permanent impairments because of their tendency. Nevertheless, it is essential to realize that PTSD is just a response to a stressful situation, which is common in on-field battles. Veterans are more likely to be exposed to such stressful events, increasing their risk of developing PTSD. Contrary to popular belief, possibilities and potential should not be used as an excuse to give up on treatment and recovery efforts.
References
Carmassi, C., Foghi, C., Dell’Oste, V., Cordone, A., Bertelloni, C. A., Bui, E., & Dell’Osso, L. (2020). PTSD symptoms in healthcare workers facing the three coronavirus outbreaks: What can we expect after the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Research, 292, 113312. Web.
Maguen, S., Li, Y., Madden, E., Seal, K. H., Neylan, T. C., Patterson, O. V., DuVall, S. L., Lujan, C., & Shiner, B. (2019). Factors associated with completing evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD among veterans in a national healthcare system. Psychiatry Research, 274, 112–128. Web.
Mobbs, M. C., & Bonanno, G. A. (2018). Beyond war and PTSD: The crucial role of transition stress in the lives of military veterans. Clinical Psychology Review, 59, 137–144. Web.
