There are many different types of PTSD cases and how people get this mental disorder, from traumatic events that have occurred in one’s life, to a situation that makes them remember the trauma. Millions of people around the world have suffered or are suffering from PTSD. In this paper I would like to highlight veterans throughout history that have suffered greatly from this disorder, but, unfortunately have never had the means to get treated. They had to hide their pain and be tormented by this illness throughout their entire lives, while never knowing what was the cause of it all. I hope to shed light on what these veterans have had to go through, and make people more aware of this disorder.
Literature Review
An article by Langer (2011) explains that World War II was not the first war that veterans suffered greatly from PTSD, but it was the first time when people began to notice that veterans after the war (midlife) would, at random, experience PTSD symptoms again. Once a young man would get back from war, he would experience horrific trauma from what he had seen, though it was not recognized as PTSD in that time, but rather ‘battle fatigue’. It was thought that just sending the military personal home and out of combat areas, they would ‘get over it’. It wasn’t seen as very serious, or something that needed intensive care. In some cases, after a few years, their PTSD symptoms would subside, but in almost every case it would reappear again when left untreated. The majority of combat vets, though, from World War II did not get any PTSD symptoms until they were in midlife, this affected their family, work, and everyday situations in life. Langer explains that the diagnostic criteria was not determined until 35 years after the war, many veterans with PTSD were actually given a wrong diagnosis such as having anxiety neurosis or an anti-social personality disorder.
Alcohol misuse among veterans has been a horrific problem throughout history, according to an article by Walton, Raines, Cuccurullo, Vidaurri, Villarosa, and Franklin (2018). Since veterans in the past did not know what PTSD was or how to combat it and many of them resorted to alcohol. These studies have shown that PTSD is, of course, the main issue, but alcohol misuse makes the individuals, perhaps, angrier, depressed, suicidal, and causes their process to recovery more difficult. It hinders their reality and maybe even numbs their pain for a while, but this is only temporary, and in the end, they are still faced with the horrors that traumatize them. This article explains that veterans need to have as many options to get treated as possible, this way so they don’t feel as though they have to resort to over drinking.
According to an article by Koven (2017), post-traumatic stress disorders are the cause of crippling depression, anger, and the rise of suicide in veterans that have been in combat. In his research, he concluded that people that claimed they had PTSD had increased dramatically between 1999 and 2004. Overall, it had grown at a staggering 79.5% of reported cases. It was obvious that PTSD was much more prevalent than was thought before, these veterans finally were able to come forward and reveal what had actually been going on for so long. Also, in Koven’s research he explained that in 2016, the statistics of a veteran committing suicide was over twice as likely as a man or women that hadn’t been in any combat. These veterans also admitted they used anger and internal hostility to numb the pain of suicide, night terrors, and flashbacks they were experiencing. It was very clear that PTSD was a link to the high suicide rate among active military and veterans that have gone through the traumas of war. The U.S Veterans Administration conducted that, overall, veterans committed suicide at incredibly higher rates than the average civilian. The mental health of an individual in the military returning from war is extremely important and should never be taken lightly, bringing these high rates of suicide down is the biggest concern.
Deeper Thinking
Thinking over how little people have spoken about veterans that have suffered with PTSD in the past, I believe now is the time we should spread awareness for it more than ever. We have come to a time that people should never feel ashamed or embarrassed to express how issues or distress they may be going through. These veterans that have had to hide their suffering, has finally come to an end. It is finally time for people with this illness to get the attention and help they deserve. Just as people are aware of depression and anxiety in today’s society, PTSD should be known just the same, since so many people are or have suffered from it. First and foremost, we should get these people the help and therapy they need in all parts of the world, big or small. In my personal opinion, in order for veterans to get the help and support they need, there should be access for them to get therapy anytime, anywhere. I believe online treatments should be available for them, more treatment centers in small towns and cities, and local support for these individuals. The online sessions could be very useful for a veteran that perhaps wants to stay in the comfort of his home, or if there are no available treatment centers in his or her neighborhood. In order for this mental illness to get recognized and for people to know how incredibly serious it is, I feel as though we should have benefits, fundraisers, and special days set aside for people to spread awareness. I personally volunteer at a veterans benefit once a month, we sing, have auctions, and serve food. I feel as though little steps like this can open people’s eyes on how significant veterans need to be recognized. Social media could also be a good source to get people’s attention in today’s world, since so many people interact with one another in that way. Perhaps Facebook fundraisers, support groups, and information being shared could get many people more involved with this issue. People are on their phones multiple times throughout the day, even as simple as a hashtag can get people interested quickly. In just a click of a button millions of people can become more aware of the struggles of veterans suffering from PTSD have had to live with. I believe many people would be shocked to realize how high the suicide rate among veterans is, and how we need to act immediately to get this issue taken care of. It would take a very large crowd of people to be dedicated to make this happen, and even more to help raise the money for treatment centers, cost is the main issue in this situation. With the money raised in the benefits and fundraisers, we could slowly buy buildings and get offices for the therapists. Over time I feel as though the money could be used to help other small towns and cities worldwide, to get their veterans the help they deserve.
Conclusion
Throughout history, veterans have undergone enormous amounts of trauma, pain, depression, and anxiety. It has always been overlooked until the last few decades as merely ‘battle fatigue’, but now we are finally taking the steps to help these men and women combat their PTSD. Before they were given many wrong diagnoses and in turn, resorted to the misuse of alcohol in many cases, which lead to even more issues. Suicide rates in combat veterans is incredibly high, and we should do all we can to stop this horrific path that’s been taken and let them know that there is a way out. I believe more can be done to get them the help, wherever it may be, and they will not have to pay a dime. With help primarily from social media, fundraisers, and more treatment facilities, awareness can be spread throughout every neighborhood, city, town, and country. No one should ever have to go through recovery alone.