Madeline Lambert Engl.

1311 Kim Millender November 25, 2013

A Shot Felt But Never Seen: The Invisible Scars of PTSD According to the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs, "an estimated 7.8 percent of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. PTSD, otherwise known as Posttraumatic stress disorder, is a psychological social disorder. PTSD is too often misunderstood, especially for individuals who are in the service. The community is not very educated about what or how PTSD works, and feels that individuals in the military who have PTSD are little more than monsters. PTSD has been a prevailing illness for a very long time. It was not until the Vietnam War that Psychologists and Doctors began to emphasize their focus on the disorder. Now as soldiers are returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq there have been more documented cases of PTSD than ever. Technology has greatly improved the way that we deal with PTSD now and fortunately has helped us to better assist individuals dealing with it. While there have been many advances and programs in the works for soldiers with PTSD it is still a very gray area. What we do know about PTSD is that it is a disorder caused by any traumatic or lifethreatening event. Victims of rape, natural disasters, military combat often experience symptoms of PTSD. Which leads me to say that PTSD is not a disorder that targets Military personal but can happen to anyone. The biggest misunderstanding that the civilian world has is that PTSD will not and cannot affect them at all. Civilians also believe that individuals in the service with

PTSD use the disorder as an excuse. Civilians do not understand the gravity of the disorder because they only see what the disorder does to that individual. Often times individuals with PTSD experience side effects of flashbacks, aggressive tendencies, black outs, nightmares, depression, and anxiety. The military does its best to get these individuals help but sometimes there are some who fall through the cracks and try to cope with their disorder with the use of alcohol, drugs or both. Society sees these individuals as a burden they believe that they use their PTSD as an excuse to act like fools and endanger others lives. Little do they know individuals affected by PTSD do not use it as an excuse they just do not know how to cope. Like any disorder it is hard for people to admit they need help and thats where society needs to step in and lend a hand.

The civilian world is very uneducated about PTSD. Civilians often blame Soldiers and criticize them for their disorder. I believe that it is the civilian world that needs to be educated on PTSD. The public needs a better understanding about how PTSD works and why it happens. I believe if there were classes for civilians to take there would be less confusion. The media would also play a big role in informing society about PTSD. There needs to be better awareness and more support from civilians for people who have PTSD. The battles that soldiers fight mentally affect them physically, and emotionally. Educating the civilian world about PTSD would be beneficial not only to soldiers but also to themselves. Society can become a helping hand in the fight to help individuals with PTSD. A

better understanding on how PTSD works and the individuals it affects can help save the lives of civilians and soldiers alike.

References "PTSD: National Center for PTSD." Relationships and PTSD -. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. <http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/ptsd-and-relationships.asp>. "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. <http://www.ptsd.ne.gov/what-is-ptsd.html>. Profitt, J. (2010, February 21). Fighting the War at Home. Dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from http://www.anothersource.org/ptsd_1.html