Importantly, factors contributing to the onset of PTSD are highly ambiguous and individualized. There is no single definite way to determine the causes of this disorder in each case. Some research suggests that rates of PTSD differ among veterans who served in different military conflicts. Indeed, there is compelling statistical evidence that military personnel who served in certain wars were somewhat more likely to develop PTSD symptoms. While many veterans experience PTSD following a traumatic event during combat, members of the military may also be exposed to other forms of trauma.
For military personnel deployed to combat zones, this kind of devastating experience could occur when a friend is killed in action. A military doctor, for example, might experience cumulative trauma after treating a series of combat wounds. Unfortunately, there is yet another potentially traumatic threat to those who serve in the military: sexual assault. Sexual misconduct is disturbingly common within the United States military.
In fact, the U. Survivors of these acts of sexual aggression often experience PTSD, as do survivors of sexual assault in civilian life. Statistics pertaining to sexual assault in the military are alarming, including the following data points:.
Trauma stemming from sexual harassment and assault can be no less devastating to veterans than experiences of combat, and prevention is a stated priority for U. Department of Defence.
Additionally, VA health care facilities often offer services specifically designed for veterans who were sexually assaulted while serving.
While the symptoms of PTSD can prove overwhelming in their own right, the condition is closely linked to other health risks in epidemiological research. Veterans who experience PTSD are at elevated risk for several related physical and psychological challenges. In some cases, the connection between these health problems is well understood; in others, the basis of the relationship requires further exploration.
Some of the health problems linked to PTSD, either in research pertaining specifically to veterans or among individuals with PTSD more generally, are as follows:.
Thankfully, there are several effective and evidence-based forms of mental health care designed to treat veterans experiencing PTSD. Department of Veterans Affairs has been a driving force in the development and testing of many PTSD treatment modalities, and VA health care facilities offer a wide spectrum of mental health services.
Chris Haxel. See stories by Chris Haxel. Related stories. Stephanie Colombini. Months of physical distancing and pandemic anxiety has been especially tough on veterans who were already dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and other combat-related injuries.
The University of Central Florida is using virtual reality to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. It's worked well enough that the Pentagon will fund…. Sarah Harris. Open Cardiovasc Med J. Kessler, R. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62 6 : Shalev, A. Freedman, T. Peri, D. Brandes, T. Sahar, S. Orr, et al. Prospective study of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression following trauma.
American Journal of Psychiatry , Vol. A meta-analysis of the association between posttraumatic stress disorder and suicidality: the role of comorbid depression. Compr Psychiatry. Sleep disturbances in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: epidemiology, impact and approaches to management.
CNS Drugs. Unable to cope with what has been experienced, the brain exists in a near-constant state of fight-or-flight, with intense physical and emotional reactions triggered by memories of the event that are spurned by high-anxiety situations. For veterans returning from combat zones, the symptoms of PTSD often include nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and difficulties processing the emotions of the trauma. Other symptoms include difficulties sleeping and maintaining relationships, wild fluctuations in anger and aggression, and self-destructive behaviors.
So why do so many soldiers have PTSD? And why do some experience it but not others? There is often an underlying, pre-combat psychiatric disorder, and the experience of directly doing harm to another is a common thread.
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