Name: Michael Lopez
Course: Honors English
Date: 05/01/11
Mental Effects of a War
1. What I know
What I know
Growing up, I always saw my grandpa’s war medals that he received from fighting in World War II. I never asked about them but as I grew older, I started to understand and recognize some of them, and appreciate their value and what they meant. Probably the most notable was his Purple Heart. He was always extremely proud of his medals. He always has a story of something he did for the country or community. All he has done to help others, but there were some things that came attached to all he has done to help.
With these honorable medals, I realized that the events he had earned them from had life changing effects. Like many of the people who served in World War II he suffers from Post Dramatic Stress Disorder. The effects are different for every soldier; some are more Sevier than others. The effects also vary; however they all affect the everyday life of the former soldier. Some rely on medication some are unable to be cured. I wondered about this illness and how severe it can be. Can any of these actually be completely cured?
All in all it is heart breaking, to see anyone who has defended our country never be able to live life the same. They gave up so much just to protect us. I have so much respect for anyone who is in the armed services. I would just like to try and better understand what it is that they go through after they return from serving.
2. What I would like to find out
What I want to find out
I would like to find out what the cause and effect of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? What can be done to help these people, maybe ease and comfort their lives, is there treatment? Can PTSD lead to other things? I want to better understand what it’s like after they return from war. Try to see just how complicated it is to go from a battlefield, to a brand new life.
I always wondered what it was like for the families, when the soldier returns. It has to be extremely hard and complicated for a soldier, but what does it do to the family? I mean it was never easy for the family before, but I’m sure it has to be more complicated. I just want to better understand, what the affects of war are. I have friends and family serving in the armed forces, so it makes me wonder, what it’s like.
3. The search
Book
Caroline M. Levchuck and others call the title of this book “Posttraumatic Stress disorder”, published by Complete Health Resources in 2001. I retrieved this book from my library at Youngker High School. I am summarizing a small portion of Posttraumatic Stress disorder, there are no specific pages.
PTSD is disorder that can affect any one who has gone through a traumatic event. It is characterized by repeated thoughts about the event, a dulling of emotions, tendency to become excited, and sometimes dramatic personality changes. This disorder was first named shell shock or battle fatigue, it mainly occurred during battle or war, however other events can cause PTSD such as rape, robbery, natural disasters, or a serious accident. A better name came along (Posttraumatic Stress disorder) That is, a person experiences severe feelings of anxiety following some major disruption in his or her life. PTSD is all based on the person, two people might experience the same event but only one might have PTSD.
There are many symptoms of PTSD, some might show up an instant after the even some might take years to show; symptoms might also fade in and out. The most common symptom is flashbacks. A flashback is a sudden memory of an event that occurred days, months, or years ago. They can be triggered, by anything such as sound, smell, sight, or feelings. The flashback may cause the person to lose touch with reality and makes the person relive an event. Sleeping disorders and increasing distress when the original event is mentioned are some other major symptoms.
Treatment varies based on every case, some require more help than others. The Prognosis mainly depends on if the trauma event was expected, how long it lasted, how severe the trauma was, and the patients genetic makeup and personality. Most common treatment is a mixture of medication and counseling, however some people might just require the medication, others just the counseling. The medication prescribed is to help with anxiety and also any sleeping disorders; however the catch to these prescriptions is they do have long term effects on the user. The counseling is just to help the patient understand there disorder and find ways to cope and find comfort in it. Group and family therapy are sometimes the most effective. Family therapy just involves the family, to help them comfort the victim, and make sure they better understand the event. Group therapy consists of a group of people with the same problem all talking, trying to find common ground, and different ways to solve their problems. New ways of helping the soldiers are still being figured out, and it is still an expanding research field.
Article
Debora MacKenzie calls the title of her article “Mental Effects of War Delayed for Months.” I found it in the New Scientist, dated November 17, 2007. It is about the effects war can have on a soldier.
Post Dramatic Stress Disorder is known to affect soldiers who have served in a war zone. It is the most common after affect of war. Soldiers are given a mental evaluation when they return, however studies of retuning Iraq veterans say that symptoms might not appear till months after they return. In which many of the soldiers go undiagnosed, since the mental screening is given close to when they return. The screenings have been underway since 2003, but after this new info not much is being done to stop it. Until in 2005 a second screening was assigned 6 months after the soldier returns, however major diseases might still be overlooked.
It is more severe however in people who are in more stressful environments. It’s said that people who have experienced actions such as seeing dead bodies, being shot at, being attacked or ambushed, receiving rocket or mortar fire, or know someone who was killed or seriously injured are more likely to suffer from post dramatic stress. However it is said that 1 in 8 soldiers returning suffer from post dramatic stress anyways. With post dramatic stress comes even more problems, some handle it differently than others. With all the soldiers that return with post dramatic stress, the depression rate from those ranges from 3% to as high as 25%. This also leads to excessive alcohol and tobacco use, as well as conflicts with others.
Some say that not enough is being done to help these soldiers. Most mental health problems that might become chronic can be detected within the first year of returning from deployment and are treatable. However it’s the soldiers who have to step forward and say something. More research is needed, to better understand what can be done to help these returning soldiers, future soldiers, and previous soldiers, to help cure or make their lives easier.
Interview
Debra K. is who I interviewd for this paper. She is my mother, and has been around my grandfather, and seen the affects of his PTSD. I asked if I could interview her because she has personal experience with this issue, and has seen first hand what it can do. We sat down and went through some questions may 7th, 2011.
ME: How severe would you say Grandpa Lalo’s PTSD is?
D: On a scale from one to ten about a 9 extremely severe
ME: How much do you think Grandpa having PTSD affected the family?
D: Its affected the family a significant amount, six on a scale of one to ten. 1. He no longer is able to travel, he cant leave home. No visiting family. Grandma has had to learn that when he has a violent nightmare that she has to lock herself in another room, and not wake him. She has to learn to be a care giver and basically be aware of what he is doing and where he is at all times. More than anything, its socially, not being able to leave the house. As well as other things that came with the PTSD such as dizzy spells, headaches and other things
ME: Do you think the treatment he is receiving has helped?
D: Extremely. He is able to talk about what he is feeling and what is goin on in his head on a regular basis with his therapists. It helps so that it does not build and build inside. He is able to get a lot out even though it is exhausting. Occupational therapy, he has received full benefits from veterans administration. He has received a work shop full of tools. Being able to keep busy with his hands, and other things, is helpful with keeping him connect to the now and not be stuck in the past. The medication is extremely helpful it keeps him on an even keel. Keeps him from having anxiety attacks, panic attacks, and other emotional break downs.
ME: What was the diagnosis presses like?
D: Over the course of 18 years basically he was denied benefits because they did not recognize it as a war based disability. But since he has kept every single paper or documentation since the 1940’s that documented every.. Exam every interview, exit interview, whatever was needed. the main thing is that he has been persistent for 18 years being told no, having doors shut in his face. But not taking no for an answer. After all the letters they sent and just being persistent. After the continuous letters being sent to any one and everyone. And now today it is a big war related disability.
Me: Can you describe what he had to go through to actually be diagnosed and receive benefits for the PTSD?
D: It was just mostly psychological interviews. Some interviews would be a minimum of five minutes. The most annoying thing would be the thought of how can you evaluate my life in a mere five minutes. After all I have seen and experienced. However he was persistent and went back to interview after interview. Till finally someone took more than five minutes to evaluate him and truly understand his situation.
4. what I learned
What I Learned
I am greatfull that I chose this subject, it made me gain a lot more appreciation for the topic. I was able to connect a lot of pieces aside from the little parts that I knew. Now when I sit down with my grandfather and he seems off or something happens, im able to better understand why. I also know to help him cope with his PTSD by not bringing up some subjects, not giving extensive details, and just all around being there for him to help him clear his mind. It means a lot to me that I can better understand his situation. It makes me appreciate everything he has done for our country. Now I hope that I can contribute to making his life even better.
Bibliography
1. "1 in 8 Returning Soldiers Suffers from PTSD - Health - Mental Health - Msnbc.com." Msnbc.com - Breaking News, Science and Tech News, World News, US News, Local News- Msnbc.com. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5334479/ns/health-mental_health/t/returning-soldiers-suffers-ptsd/>.
2. "Gale - Enter Product Login." GaleNet. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None>.
3. "Mental Effects of War Delayed for Months - Health - 14 November 2007 - New Scientist." Science News and Science Jobs from New Scientist - New Scientist. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12917-mental-effects-of-war-delayed-for-months.html>.
