Ptsd The Soldier s Curse - 1301 Words

PTSD: The Soldier’s Curse Since time immemorial, war has been the primitive inception of tragedy. The act of throwing a rifle into the hands of a young man who still maintains his moral constitution and demanding him to commit atrocious acts can scar the consciences of even the most battle hardened of veterans. By the same token, it is said that war has a way of dragging the most civilized of men back into a primal state of mind that compels them to commit morally damaging acts. Even more so, some men carry those moral injuries back home with them in the form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Nevertheless, if someone is truly eager to comprehend Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, it is absolutely essential that they understand its history,†¦show more content†¦After the American Civil War, a model for physical injury was readily used to help potentially explain the common symptoms of these combat veterans. United States doctor, Jacob Mendez Da Costa, had studied the most common heart problem found amo ng veterans commonly known as Soldier’s Heart (Friedman 5). Dr. Mendez described the troubled breathing, anxiety and rapid heart rate as an overstimulation of the heart’s nervous system (Friedman 5). This diagnosis was later dubbed Da Costa’s Syndrome. Later on during World War I, soldiers around exploding artillery shells often experienced cases of anxiety and sleeplessness. The term Shell Shocked came into fruition to describe these recognizable symptoms (Friedman 7). After studying Vietnam veterans, Holocaust survivors, sexual abuse victims and other cases of troubled souls who have experienced traumatic events, the American Psychiatric Association recognized PTSD as a mental disorder in 1950 (Friedman 11). This inevitably paved the way for even more meticulous research into the disease. Statistically, in regards to the Vietnam War, studies have shown that an estimated 30% of veterans --such as the old man from Facing It-- that have been exposed to the horrors of combat, have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Gradus 5). Furthermore, it is estimated that nearly 11 to 20% of combat veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, which began in the early 2000’s, have beenShow MoreRelatedWar, Deadly Force, And The Bible1876 Words   |  8 Pages In Todd Wagner’s essay on â€Å"War, Deadly Force, and the Bible.† he discusses how to help soldiers called to war to God’s commandment, â€Å"Thou shalt not kill† (Exodus 20:13 KJV). He explains that war, at times, is needed to restrict evil and is not only a divine right but also a responsibility of a nation/government. Wagner quotes Romans 13:1-4 as his reference point for this. â€Å"1Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority haveRead MoreThe Trauma of Killing Essay2221 Words   |  9 PagesPost-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA) (2000), a precursor to PTSD is the experience of an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury to self or others. Grossman (2009) argues that an additional factor, the emotional and spiritual response to killing another human being, also takes a tremendous toll on the mental health of returning soldiers. Forty-eight to sixty–five percent of soldiers returning from Operation EnduringRead MoreSSD2 Module 1 Notes31223 Words   |  125 Pagescause exceptionally grave damage to the nation s national security. Secret You will apply a SECRET classification to an SOP in which the unauthorized disclosure of its contents could reasonably be expected to cause serious damage to national security. Top Secret You will apply a TOP SECRET classification to an SOP in which the unauthorized disclosure of its contents could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the nation s national security. Secret You will apply a SECRET