Running head: POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN VETERANS

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars: Transition Back to Civilian Life

Abstract

2 POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN VETERANS Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD has become a very prevalent disorder in todays society following the current wars that are being fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. With the increase in the number of veterans returning home and reintegrating into civilian life, the quality of life for the veterans and their families and friends becomes an issue when trying to diagnose, find treatment and rehab and regain normalcy.

3 POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN VETERANS In recent times, our generation has become very familiar with what it is like to have family and friends deployed overseas to fight in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2001, almost two million American military members have been deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and about one million of those have returned to the United States, separated from the military and Department of Defense and have begun the difficult transition back to civilian (or non military) life (Zeber, Noel, Pugh, Copeland, & Parchman, 2010). With those troops beginning the process of returning home, there is an increased awareness of a disorder that is closely linked with war veterans: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Many of these soldiers who are coming home have been in intense combat and many have suffered traumatic combat injuries, (including traumatic brain injuries or TBIs), witnessed distressing situations, or have acquired the need for intensive rehabilitation programs due to the injuries sustained while overseas.

The focus now is helping these men and women coming home transition successfully back into fulfilling and normal lives as civilians. With these veterans coming home, healthcare providers need to be aware of the possibility of these individuals suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or more commonly known as PTSD, and must know the signs and symptoms to look for while treating them. According to Welcome Back Veterans, considerable distress when confronted with reminders of the events, intrusive thoughts about the event, vivid flashbacks where they feel as though they are reliving the event, upsetting dreams and nightmares, a sense of being easily frightened or startled; and coping with these terrible symptoms can include: They may try to cope with their symptoms by: avoiding people, places, and situations that remind them of the event, withdrawing and/or feel estranged from loved ones having difficulty

4 POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN VETERANS experiencing emotions and may come to believe that their future will be cut short. (Welcome Back Veterans, 2011).

Veterans, families and healthcare providers need to be aware of centers and organizations that have been dedicated to helping those and their families suffering from PTSD. These organizations are dedicated to helping veterans returning home from war treat this disorder and also provide help for their families, along with funding for research on PTSD. One organization is called Welcome Back Veterans. They are an organization available for help. According to their organization website:

WBV is committed to providing PTSD treatment to our veterans and their families in a public/private partnership with the Veterans Administration, Department of Defense, Major League Baseball Charities, the McCormick Foundation, the Entertainment Industry Foundation and world renowned Centers of Excellence at University Hospitals throughout the country. Our goal is to transform the lives of our returning veterans by providing on-going treatment to them and their families for any PTSD issues they may have. At the same time, we want to change the way Americans think and talk about PTSD. Our program is designed to complement existing efforts at the Veterans Administration and Department of Defense, which at times, are sorely over-taxed by the large number of veterans they have to serve. Ultimately, WBV is committed to creating a national network of Centers of Excellence to provide the best care to those who deserve nothing less while funding ground breaking research to continue seeking ground breaking treatments for PTSD (Welcome Back Veterans, 2011).

5 POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN VETERANS While organizations like Welcome Back Veterans are available, they are not widely known and are rarely sought out by veterans suffering themselves.

A personal interview with a former veteran who is experiencing PTSD after combat is an excellent way to gain insight into the hardships of PTSD. US Army SPC Nathan Bradley was in Iraq from October 2006-January 2008 before being honorably discharged after sustaining an injury in combat. When asked about symptoms he experienced, he responded:

An absolute hate for most civilians, emotional not-give-a-sh*t, still jump at loud noises, and after a loud noise I'm very jumpy; inability to sleep, flashbacks, an unbelievable temper, can't remember stuff, especially short term memory. Hard time recalling words (the words and memory problems might be related to the mild brain injury -- the docs don't know) Every day, on every patrol, you had to pay attention to everything, and be on high alert. Just like if you hear something in your kitchen in the middle of the night, your adrenaline kicks up, your pupils dilate a little to boost vision, your ears pick up... every part of your body is running on 120% (Personal communication, August 7, 2011).

Self medicating is a form of treatment that many people suffering from PTSD turn to. When asking SPC Bradley about how he copes with his symptoms he responded:

I drink. I have medicine, but its all experimental. There is one drug I have that is an antidepressant; I have an anti-psychotic, and a blood pressure drug that supposedly cures nightmares. The sh*t they hand out doesn't do anything, but it covers their a** so people can't say that the government isn't helping soldiers recover, the government can say "yes we are, look at all the medicines we give out. So all in all, I drink. When I drink with friends, its all about

6 POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN VETERANS the social fun, but on the days that I'm feeling like shit, drinking makes it feel better. (Personal communication, August 7, 2011).

Along with the individuals suffering themselves, there is the issue of the impact on family lives and personal relationships; including spouses of deployed personnel suffering domestic abuse; and though the effects on family is considerable, far less is known about the experiences and potential impact of post-deployment issues upon family and larger community networks. (Zeber, Noel, Pugh, Copeland, & Parchman, 2010). Even though there is little known about the effects on family and relationships of those who have been deployed, some research has been conducted. According to the article in Mental Health in Family Medicine titled: Family perceptions of post-deployment healthcare needs of Iraq/Afghanistan military personnel: Family members of deployed personnel have also been found to be at increased risk of depression, substance abuse and other mental health problems during and after deployments, not to mention potentially serious marital or relationship troubles, complicating the process of reintegration into family life. Children of military personnel exhibited greater anxiety and more behavioural or emotional problems three years after a parent was deployed, suggesting that detrimental effects to family cohesion maybe quite extended. (Zeber, Noel, Pugh, Copeland, & Parchman, 2010)

Seeking treatment for mental health disorders carries an unnecessary stigma and for the demographic returning from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, it can be especially daunting and embarrassing to seek help. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a very real and painful disorder to have not only for the person experiencing it, but for everyone who has a relationship with that

7 POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN VETERANS person. Re-integration into society can be hard for those returning from overseas, but can be even more difficult for someone who has PTSD. Being able to recognize the signs and symptoms of PTSD and knowing the options for treatment and rehabilitation can be a key factor in functioning well and starting the process of healing and returning to as high functioning as possible and living the most normal life as possible.

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References

Welcome back veterans. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.welcomebackveterans.org/index on August 7, 2011.

Zeber, J., Noel, P., Pugh, M., Copeland, L., & Parchman, M. (2010). Family perceptions of postdeployment healthcare needs of Iraq/Afghanistan military personnel. Mental Health in Family Medicine, 7(3), 135-143. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.