Essay Example on Unveiling the Shadows: Understanding and Supporting Veterans with PTSD

Have you ever felt as if you were trapped in a terrible nightmare that you could not wake up from? One that was so real and almost scared you to death? I am sure everyone can relate to such scenarios. Now imagine what soldiers go through after experiencing severe trauma or a life-threatening event like war. After the Iraq war, studies suggest that 20% of soldiers developed PTSD (Badger, 2014). It happened because of witnessing other people being killed or even seeing many dead bodies on the ground during that time. Today I would like to share with you how our veterans develop PTSD, what they go through, and how we can deal with and help them through a difficult time.

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First, we must know what causes PSTD. When soldiers experience too much stress in a situation, and even after it’s over, their nervous system is unable to go back to normal, they have PTSD. PTSD occurs as a result of trauma. It happens to our veterans because of war, military experiences, physical or sexual assault, and training. During the war, several shootings, grenades, and bombs that explode occur, causing death. The war experience leads to shock among the surviving soldiers (Kassraie, 2019). A soldier may experience trauma at this time after seeing people being killed, dead people all over, and more so losing their close friends during the war.

Secondly, military sexual assault is also common among members who are young or who have just joined the mission. There are several cases of service members who have been raped by their superiors. It leads to sexual assault trauma even in the future (University of Southern California, 2019). Throughout the military training session, soldiers encounter difficult experiences in which they get injured or even severely punished. It gets worse when they are cut off from the military. That experience is fit enough to give one psychological trauma.

I would also like to share what people suffering from PTSD go through. Physical and psychological symptoms mark PTSD. People with PTSD have disturbing thoughts and feelings that last long after the traumatic event has ended. When one is suffering from PTSD, they are usually unaware of their surroundings and are angry with both themselves and others. One may not know that they are suffering from stress disorder until they start getting symptoms. Veterans suffering from PTSD experience nightmares, lack of sleep, withdrawal, anger, guilt, anxiety, confusion, and even suicidal thoughts (Hobson, 2019). These symptoms impair the daily life routine of an individual. Many military members begin to use drugs to cope with the challenges since they may not get a break from work.

Lastly, how do we deal with people suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? When your loved one has PTSD, it affects those surrounding them. However, we must understand these people and help them move on with their lives. It would be best if you educated yourself about PTSD to understand what the person is going through. Try to show them love and support and be a good listener whenever they decide to open up. Respect their feelings and do not be judgmental. Rebuild your loved one's sense of security by minimizing stress at home, being positive, and being there for the person (Tull, 2020). It is also essential to manage triggers surrounding the people. An affected military soldier would not like to hear loud noises or see his combat buddies. One cannot force them to get better, but you can play a huge role in their healing process. By following those steps, you will help your loved one have an easy time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we all need to understand that it is normal for our soldiers to face trauma, especially after life-threatening events. It is difficult for one to escape this, but through professional and family help, we can help our loved ones go back to normal. Those suffering from PSTD must also get a positive outlook and try to battle the condition. It is essential to take the experience as a learning process. PSTD is a real problem our soldiers face every day, and it requires awareness for people to know how to handle it.

References

Badger, E. (2014, April 3). Why the Iraq War has produced more PTSD than the conflict in Afghanistan. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/04/03/why-the-iraq-war-has-produced-more-ptsd-than-the-conflict-in-afghanistan/

Hobson, J. (2019, August 7). 'I'm still dealing with it': How 2 veterans are learning to cope with PTSD. WBUR. HYPERLINK "https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/08/07/veteran-ptsd-getting-help" https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/08/07/veteran-ptsd-getting-help

Kassraie, A. (2019, July 2). The book shines a light on veterans and PTSD. AARP. https://www.aarp.org/home-family/voices/veterans/info-2019/moving-past-ptsd-book.html

Tull, M. (2020). PTSD: Coping, support, and living well. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/coping-with-ptsd-2797536

University of Southern California. (2019, August 8). Military sexual assault: Why are service members at risk and what can be done to prevent it? Online Master of Social Work. https://msw.usc.edu/mswusc-blog/military-sexual-assault-prevalence-prevention/