Combat Ptsd

Name

Instructors’ Name

Course Title and Code

Date

Combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Outline

Thesis Statement:

Combat post-traumatic stress disorder may not have been a new phenomenon for the modern society; however, it is becoming a life-threatening condition, so it is necessary to create awareness about its treatment and provide a helping hand to its victims.

Causes

direct exposure to a traumatic incident

witnessing the traumatic incident happening to others

Symptoms

negative and fearful emotional state

inability to recall the incident of trauma

Treatment

psychotherapy and medication

canine therapy

Conclusion

Combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Mental health and well-being are one of the most important aspects of the modern society of the twenty-first century. Combat post-traumatic stress disorder is not a new concept in this modern age; however, it has become more prevalent and caused severe risks to the life of soldiers. Combat post-traumatic stress disorder is specifically identified among the soldiers who have served some period in the war zones. Such soldiers have the first-hand experience of the traumatic incidents or in some cases just being the witness causes severe trauma to the soldiers leaving them unable to stay normal and focused on their work. Combat post-traumatic stress disorder may not have been a new phenomenon for the modern society; however, it is becoming a life-threatening condition, so it is necessary to create awareness about its treatment and provide a helping hand to its victims.

Causes

It is not important that all the soldiers who work in the combat zones experience the post-traumatic incidents; however, a greater majority do suffer from traumatic happenings. There are a number of causes of combat post-traumatic stress disorder; however, the most common include the following;

Direct Exposure to Traumatic Incident

One of the most common causes of combat PSTD is direct exposure to traumatic incidents. In the war field, there is constant fighting and killing. Sometimes, the soldiers are captured by the enemy forces, who then torture them physically and mentally, which can become the source of causing PTSD.

Witnessing the Traumatic Incident Happening to Others

Another important cause of combat PSTD is witnessing the traumatic incidents happening to other people. A soldier witnessing the fellow slider being tortured and harmed can cause the trauma. In addition to it, seeing the general population in the warzones being killed and tortured at the hands of soldiers or the political parties can also cause trauma (Seligman et al., 4).

Symptoms

There are a number of symptoms of combat PSTD; however, the most common include the following:

Negative and Fearful Emotional State

The person, suffering from the combat PSTD, experiences extremely negative and fearful emotional state. Most of the times, they have suicidal thoughts, as they think that it is better to die than to suffer the pain. They lose the hope and will of living and feel really depressed (Grupe et al., 3).

Inability to Recall the Incident of Trauma

Another symptom of the condition is that the person is unable to recall the details of the incidental and feel extreme pain and emotionally poor condition when they try to recall it. The physical pain that they suffered due to the trauma does not let them recall it.

Treatment

Combat PSTD is a treatable condition; however, it requires the will of the person to achieve better outcomes.

Psychotherapy and Medication

Psychotherapy and medication is the most common form of treatment available for PTSD. The person suffering from the conditions needs to receive regular counseling along with medication, in order to get rid of the suicidal and depressed thoughts and come back to life (Koven, 2).

Canine Therapy

Using dogs as therapy is another most important form of treating PSTD. Most of the times, the soldiers suffering from the condition are reluctant to get counseling and medication as they are concerned about their image. Spending time with dogs can help them become more cheerful and develop positive thoughts (Kolar, and Bell, 1).

Conclusion

Combat post-traumatic stress disorder has become very common in modern society as several states of the world are experiencing war conditions. Moreover, the use of modern warfare has increased the severity of wars and increased the number of casualties as well. It is quite natural for the soldiers to develop the trauma while being tortured or even by seeing other people dying due to it. However, it is a treatable condition and the soldiers suffering from it, should receive the treatment in order to enjoy their life and not stay stuck in their traumatic experiences.

Works Cited

Grupe, Daniel W., et al. "A common neural substrate for elevated PTSD symptoms and reduced pulse rate variability in combat-exposed veterans." bioRxiv (2018): 364455.

Kolar, Jessica Marie, and Emily Rose Bell. "Canine-Assisted Therapy: Treatment of PTSD in Combat Veterans." (2019).

Koven, Steven. "Veteran Treatments: PTSD Interventions." Healthcare. Vol. 6. No. 3. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2018.

Seligman, Martin EP, et al. "PTSD: Catastrophizing in Combat as Risk and Protection." Clinical Psychological Science(2019): 2167702618813532.