I’ve been sick yesterday and today, so I’ve just been laying on the couch watching the entire season of NCIS: Los Angeles. It’s a good show. Kind of a comedic, futuristic Law and Order with a lot more shootings, explosions and car chases. One of the things I like about the show is that they shed light on some of the things our military does and some of the hardships our military members face during deployment and when they get home. I think it’s funny how people think militay personnel can just slide back into their previous routines when they get home from deployment and that life will be great and wonderful for everyone. Sadly, it doesn’t quite work out that way. Deployments are hard on the military members and their families. Personally, I think the military people have it a lot harder than their families do. A lot of people don’t agree with me and think the families have it harder. My reasons for thinking as I do are that when a unit deploys, they leave everything familiar and comfortable behind. They don’t have all the recreational options, home-cooked meals, the option of going to their parent’s or friends’ houses whenever they choose or even the ability to speak to their families when they are needing comfort or guidance. The family members and friends that are left behind can still go to the movies whenever they want, go to the store and buy new clothes or fresh food, drive to wherever they want to go, quit their job if they decide they don’t like it, buy a new bed if the one they have is uncomfortable, decorate their living space they way they want, etc. That’s all aside from the families not being in a hostile environment where their live are threatened every moment of every day. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be in constant fear for my life and the lives of those around me. To wake up every morning and wonder if that was going to be the day something big happened. To never know if you will be alive at the end of the week or even the day. How hard would that be? How hard? It’s a wonder more people don’t come back with psychological issues.
PTSD is something I’ve been thinking a lot about the past while. It kills me that people think it is just some nonesensical excuse for being weak. There is nothing weak about it. True, actual PTSD is something nobody should have to go through alone. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I’m surprised it’s taken so long for that to be recognized by our military leaders. Most of them have been through combat and have seen the effects of long-term exposure to hazardous conditions. It’s crazy that they turned a blind eye to it for so long. True, there is a similar, less-intense stress disorder. It’s called Acute Stress Disorder. I wonder if people are being misdiagnosed with that and then not being treated properly.
I’ve done a little bit of research into PTSD lately. I’ve had experience with it before and I know how it can be for some people, but I also know that everyone manifests symptoms differently. Just because I’ve seen one person handle it one way doesn’t mean everyone is going to behave that same way. Some people are outwardly violent to those around them and others are self destructive. There are also peole who are a combination of both. Everyone is different. Some of the stories I’ve been reading are kinda scary and some of them are really sad. I wish people didn’t have to go through stuff like that.
I just read through the Wikipedia page on PTSD and am currently reading the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) section on PTSD. While it’s fascinating reading about the evolution of the diagnosis and the chemical compositions that change due to traumatic events, it’s still sad to know that people all over the place deal with this. It makes me want to cry, knowing that the people I know are dealing with something so awful.
The Department of Veteran Affairs lists a description of PTSD as:
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others’ lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening.
Anyone who has gone through a life-threatening event can develop PTSD. These events can include:
- ■Combat or military exposure
- ■Child sexual or physical abuse
- ■Terrorist attacks
- ■Sexual or physical assault
- ■Serious accidents, such as a car wreck.
- ■Natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake.
After the event, you may feel scared, confused, or angry. If these feelings don’t go away or they get worse, you may have PTSD. These symptoms may disrupt your life, making it hard to continue with your daily activities.
The DVA page also has a list of symptoms and descriptive examples:
What are the symptoms of PTSD?
Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be terrifying. They may disrupt your life and make it hard to continue with your daily activities. It may be hard just to get through the day.
PTSD symptoms usually start soon after the traumatic event, but they may not happen until months or years later. They also may come and go over many years. If the symptoms last longer than 4 weeks, cause you great distress, or interfere with your work or home life, you probably have PTSD.
There are four types of symptoms: reliving the event, avoidance, numbing, and feeling keyed up.
1.Reliving the event (also called re-experiencing symptoms):
Bad memories of the traumatic event can come back at any time. You may feel the same fear and horror you did when the event took place. You may have nightmares. You even may feel like you’re going through the event again. This is called a flashback. Sometimes there is a trigger: a sound or sight that causes you to relive the event. Triggers might include:
- ■Hearing a car backfire, which can bring back memories of gunfire and war for a combat veteran
- ■Seeing a car accident, which can remind a crash survivor of his or her own accident
- ■Seeing a news report of a sexual assault, which may bring back memories of assault for a woman who was raped
2.Avoiding situations that remind you of the event:
You may try to avoid situations or people that trigger memories of the traumatic event. You may even avoid talking or thinking about the event.
- ■A person who was in an earthquake may avoid watching television shows or movies in which there are earthquakes
- ■A person who was robbed at gunpoint while ordering at a hamburger drive-in may avoid fast-food restaurants
- ■Some people may keep very busy or avoid seeking help. This keeps them from having to think or talk about the event.
3.Feeling numb:
You may find it hard to express your feelings. This is another way to avoid memories.
- ■You may not have positive or loving feelings toward other people and may stay away from relationships
- ■You may not be interested in activities you used to enjoy
- ■You may forget about parts of the traumatic event or not be able to talk about them.
4.Feeling keyed up (also called hyperarousal):
You may be jittery, or always alert and on the lookout for danger. This is known as hyperarousal. It can cause you to:
- ■Suddenly become angry or irritable
- ■Have a hard time sleeping
- ■Have trouble concentrating
- ■Fear for your safety and always feel on guard
- ■Be very startled when someone surprises you
These are the symptoms listed on the NIMH page:
PTSD can cause many symptoms. These symptoms can be grouped into three categories:
1. Re-experiencing symptoms:
- Flashbacks—reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms like a racing heart or sweating
- Bad dreams
- Frightening thoughts.
Re-experiencing symptoms may cause problems in a person’s everyday routine. They can start from the person’s own thoughts and feelings. Words, objects, or situations that are reminders of the event can also trigger re-experiencing.
2. Avoidance symptoms:
- Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the experience
- Feeling emotionally numb
- Feeling strong guilt, depression, or worry
- Losing interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past
- Having trouble remembering the dangerous event.
- Being easily startled
- Feeling tense or “on edge”
- Having difficulty sleeping, and/or having angry outbursts.
Hyperarousal symptoms are usually constant, instead of being triggered by things that remind one of the traumatic event. They can make the person feel stressed and angry. These symptoms may make it hard to do daily tasks, such as sleeping, eating, or concentrating.
It’s natural to have some of these symptoms after a dangerous event. Sometimes people have very serious symptoms that go away after a few weeks. This is called acute stress disorder, or ASD. When the symptoms last more than a few weeks and become an ongoing problem, they might be PTSD. Some people with PTSD don’t show any symptoms for weeks or months.
The thing I’ve been searching for in all this research is how to help someone deal with PTSD. It’s not something easily dealt with and people who have it need all the helps and support they can get. Professional therapy is the best route and the tricky part is finding the right counsellor. But family members and friends can still help in some ways. Here are the ways that NIMH says people can help:
To help a friend or relative, you can:
- Offer emotional support, understanding, patience, and encouragement.
- Learn about PTSD so you can understand what your friend or relative is experiencing.
- Talk to your friend or relative, and listen carefully.
- Listen to feelings your friend or relative expresses and be understanding of situations that may trigger PTSD symptoms.
- Invite your friend or relative out for positive distractions such as walks, outings, and other activities.
- Remind your friend or relative that, with time and treatment, he or she can get better.
- Never ignore comments about your friend or relative harming him or herself, and report such comments to your friend’s or relative’s therapist or doctor.
