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Stephen Haley

English IV Honors

Wilson

4/11/2018

The Struggle of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Thesis: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is an issue that most people see as being small, but, it has

the possibility to ruin people’s lives and leads to suicide for many who don’t get the help they

need due to being viewed as mental weak.

1. How one can have or acquire PTSD

1. Can it happen overnight, or does it come with time?
2. What types of events can cause PTSD
3. Different types of PTSD
2. What it is like to live with PTSD. Things that can cause flashbacks or attacks
1. What causes flashbacks
2. Coming from behind someone
3. Nightmares
4. Flashbacks
5. Anxiety
3. Treatment, how someone can get help
1. Different types of treatment
2. Which works best
3. Does different treatment depend on the patient?
4. How was PTSD treated years ago?
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The Struggle of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Throughout history there have been events that have happened in individuals lives that

have changed their life, making it difficult to carry on at times. One such problem is Post-

Traumatic Stress Disorder otherwise known as PTSD. Whether the events were those of war,

crime, freak accidents, etc.… Sometimes these events will linger with the victim, haunting them

making everyday normal events hard to handle due to having flashbacks or anxiety attacks. This

disorder is quite new when it comes to being treated but has been around ever since humans

lived through tragic events. PTSD has been viewed differently through generation to generation

and is now being researched to treat so that no one else must suffer. Post-Traumatic Stress

Disorder is an issue that most people see as being small, but it has the possibility to ruin people’s

lives and leads to suicide for many who do not get the help they need due to being viewed as

mentally weak.

When looking through history books, the everyday person did not know what Post-

Traumatic Stress Disorder was. During the 1700’s the disease was studied some in multiple

countries all coming up with slightly different reasons for the issue. “Germany believed it was

just an issue dealing with homesickness, while those in Spain called it Nostalgia, and the

symptoms were those of homesickness, melancholy, disturbed, weak, anxiety attacks, heart

palpitations, and so on.” (History of PTSD) All of these problems would come together to be

what we know now as PTSD.

Every generation has viewed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder differently. Many of which

were not as accepting as society is today of the disorder. During World War One Post-Traumatic

Stress Disorder was known by another term which was Shell Shock. Shell shock is “the dazed,

disoriented state many soldiers experienced during combat or shortly thereafter” (Qtd. In “World
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War 1) The problem with this was that many soldiers who were not around artillery or weapons

that were supposedly causing the problem were experiencing the symptoms of Shell Shock.

Those soldiers were in turn labeled weak and cowards due to having these problems without

probable cause. This generation did not openly accept the problem or disorder and saw this as a

very bad thing. People viewed those who suffered as showing a display of weakness which was

not something one did during this time period, which is a whole lot different than in the society

now.

During WWII the disorder grew to be worse due to affecting even more soldiers due to

the militaries in the war using more advanced weapons and weapons capable of even more

destruction and power. Many more suffered from this disorder, “twenty-five percent of casualties

were caused by war trauma, and this rate was even higher for soldiers engaged in long, intense

fighting.” (World War II) This goes to reinforce the impact that combat and stressful events can

have on the human mind. No matter how strong someone is or how long they have been around

things such as violence, there is always the possibility that one can start to have the symptoms;

especially for those who have been in the combat role for a lengthy period. During WWII all

soldiers were screened and evaluated before combat to try and weed out those who were believed

might have the potential to acquire mental issues such as these. Many soldiers had this issue that

during the war psychiatrists believed that “psychological weakness had little to do with the

subsequent distress in combat. Thus, the terminology changed from combat neurosis to combat

exhaustion or battle fatigue. Reflecting the consensus that all soldiers were vulnerable to battle

fatigue due to their environments, the U.S. Army adopted the official Slogan, “Every man has his

breaking point”. (Qtd. In World War II) This goes to show that no matter how tough a person is,

how long or how many time they have witnessed such events, everyone at some point can break
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down and have these problems. Sometimes one might can stop this from happening but in other

cases it cannot be avoided, and it just happens.

The Vietnam War was the first war in United States history were the rotation of troops

took place. For example, after a soldier had completed a year or so in combat he could return

home and not have to deal with the war again unless he resigned to do it again. This hurt

American troops by taking the veterans out and replacing them with rookies who knew no

combat. Many lives were lost due to this, but for those who returned home it was a good thing.

They did not have to stay in Vietnam until the war ended. In all wars before whether it be WWI,

WWII, or the Korean conflict, if deployed one would stay in combat until the war was finished.

In the History of PTSD article about Post WWII and Vietnam it is said:

A disease-based model was proposed, and psychiatric medications became more

common. Unfortunately, this conceptualization of PTSD led to a great deal of

stigmatization, because if biological factors were the sole cause of the

development of these symptoms, then afflicted soldiers could be considered as

“physiologically weak” or “constitutionally disordered”. Another explanation

related to biology was that psychological problems arose from pathologies in

early childhood, and that psychological problems were converted into physical

symptoms, manifesting themselves in such diverse diseases as ulcers, arthritis,

dermatitis, and hyperthyroidism.

Yet as psychology became more integrated with medicine, it became clear that

PTSD was far more complex than the medical model or psychosomatic

explanations would indicate.

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With this, even though PTSD was being studied more and some medical treatment was possible,

those who had PTSD were still viewed as physiologically weak or constitutionally disorder. This

is very sad because throughout all of these wars people have struggled and instead of getting help

they were just labeled as weak due to having these mental issues. Progression was made during

this era to help those in need and suffering, but one can easily see that more was needed.

Moving into more modern times such as the nineties and two-thousands it is much more

apparent that more people are getting help for their problems and trying to get help as well.

There are organizations that help and want veterans to get back to the life they once lived

without having to make each day a struggle to stay motivated. There is always room for

improvement on how much help people suffering with PTSD can get. One of the biggest things

that veterans need to get through this is support, with no support it can make one see no reason to

even try to get better. With support, veterans and others can get the help they need and make it

through everyday life and get back to the normal life they once had.

Living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder makes everyday a new battle that some days

are better or worse than the one before. There is no exact set of facts that make PTSD what it is.

Everyone that suffers from PTSD has a different experience, some do not have the same issues

as other. Severity is also different for all who suffer, for some just little things will set off an

anxiety attack, whereas others it takes more. A man who suffered from PTSD said that “Triggers

can come from anywhere at any time… a smell, a look/ glance, a vibe, a dream… how someone

treats you. You are unable, as hard as you try, to turn it off.” (Qtd. In Schuster) This quote goes

to help enforce that the smallest things like a scent or look can set off a flashback that is

unwanted by the victim. These small things that we do everyday are avoided by some due to the

fact they just do not wa9*nt to have to remember what they went through or what happened to
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them. Steve Lynch, a Vietnam veteran and police officer of forty years, explained in a personal

interview that one day at church and another time in a home improvement store an individual

approached him from behind and touched or grabbed him to get his attention. This small thing

due to his PTSD scared him and he jumped both times, one of which he knocked over a light

bulb display in the store. It is very sad that individuals must suffer in those ways, but what

everyday citizens who know nothing of PTSD do not know is that they have this problem due to

most likely doing something to benefit us such as fighting in a war. Mr. Lynch went on to

explain that in both situations of being startled by someone grabbing him, they both laughed

when he explained that he had PTSD and that is what caused him to jump. Which is

unacceptable, as already stated one does not have a reason to laugh at someone having this issue.

Anyone who startles someone with this disorder should apologize for it, but it goes to reinforce

that people of newer generations even though more accepting of PTSD still do not understand

what one goes through when they have this disorder and what they went through to get it.

For many people they cannot stop anxiety attacks or being startled by something or

someone; it just happens. A person who struggles with PTSD said “It’s constantly looking over

your shoulder and having difficulty trusting people… It’s not just something you can walk away

from.” (Qtd. In Schuster) Coming from someone who has this disorder, one can see that it is hard

to get through PTSD due to one who has the issue not getting to choose when you have

flashbacks, anxiety attacks, nightmares and the list goes on. PTSD just happens, and it is what it

is for those who have it.

Because Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was viewed differently in different times and

generations, it was treated in different ways. Many times this had to do with how that era viewed

the person who had the condition. One who was seen as a coward would not have received
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treatment but those who met the criteria to be considered as having the condition did receive

some treatment.

During WWI shell shock was their form of PTSD and was only applicable to certain

individuals who were in an area that had a lot of artillery bombardment caused from the loud

boom of shells impacting the ground. Since this time viewed the disorder different it makes sense

that their forms of treatment were much different as well. In World War One, “Treatment was

brief, consisting only of a few days of comfort, with the firm expectation that the soldier return

to duty. Because 65% of shell-shocked soldiers ultimately returned to the front lines, treatment

was considered a success.” (Qtd in World War 1) Even though these soldiers returned to the

fight, they were not always cured due to this short treatment. Not always did these soldiers return

on their own will. Many times, it was either return to battle or be considered as a coward like the

others who were not treated. As one can easily see during this time, society was not as accepting

as now with treatment and help for those who were suffering.

WWII had some changes in the treatment given to those suffering. For these soldiers,

“treatment shifted to giving “mental patients” rest in safe areas. Other methods used by

psychiatrists at this time included administering sodium pentothal (or other barbiturates) to

induce repressed battlefield experiences, and even disbursing liquor to soldiers!” (World War 2)

Soldiers in this era were still viewed as mentally weak, but the treatment did start to head in a

direction of growth. Soldiers could stay in an area at which they knew they were safe to keep

calm and try to put past them what they had witnessed in combat and was bothering them. Also,

some remedies were given to them to try and ease the problem to make it more relaxing so that

they could soon return to their usual roles and not be held back. Even though there was some

advancement during World War Two for those in need, there was still much more needed.
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Today, the nations’ warriors have many more resources to help and benefit them towards

getting rid of this dreadful problem. There are multiple types of treatment that are all considered

Trauma-focused Psychotherapies. The three most widely used treatments in this field are called:

Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Eye-Movement Desensitization and

Reprocessing. There are other ways of treatment, these being the most popular due to great

results. Some sufferers might only need one of these therapies where as others may need

multiple. It all depends on how sever one’s PTSD is and what he suffers from.

Prolonged Exposure helps those suffering and “Teaches you how to gain control by

facing your negative feelings. It involves talking about your trauma with a provider and doing

some of the things you have avoided since the trauma.” (“PTSD: National Center for PTSD.”)

For some who suffer, one of the worst things is to hold it in and try to forget it. Sadly, most times

this does not work and causes the individual to have even more flashbacks and problems linked

with PTSD. By talking about it, it can make the individual very emotional, but by talking about

the issue and events that occurred it can relieve stress and discomfort for whoever is struggling

with PTSD and help them to be more confidence to conquer each day. Talking can also lessen

the amount of flashbacks and anxiety attacks by getting them out of the system where for an

amount of time those thoughts do not cross the mind.

The Cognitive Processing Therapy helps those who suffer become more positive about

their situations and events that caused these issues. This therapy “Teaches you to reframe

negative thoughts about the trauma. It involves talking with your provider about your negative

thoughts and doing short writing assignments.” (“PTSD: National Center for PTSD.”) By getting

this therapy it helps relieve any hard feelings or anger towards the events or things that caused

someone to have PTSD. By having the anger towards whatever caused their issues, it might
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make them remember it more which would cause more problems such as the flashbacks,

nightmares, or anxiety. When the anger or hard feelings are released it helps the individual with

PTSD all around more relaxed and happier in everyday life since they are not holding as hard as

a grudge towards those awful events from the past. In a way they are helping victims to look

forward to the future and not reminisce in the past.

Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is treatment that “Helps you process

and make sense of your trauma. It involves calling the trauma to mind while paying attention to a

back-and-forth movement or sound (like a finger waving side to side, a light, or a tone).”

(“PTSD: National Center for PTSD.”) When people live through life changing events such as

tragedies or combat they sometimes struggle to make sense of what happened and what went on.

This type of therapy can help treat that and make sense of what happened by making the

individual receiving therapy recall events while focusing on the movement of something like a

finger moving back and forth. It can sometimes help clear up the memory to help make more

sense of what happened. During the therapy one will focus on the events and parts of the events

that upset them and that they have harsh feelings towards. This is done until the individual calms

down, eventually after being completed a couple of times it can cause the individual to have

more calm and happy feeling towards the events that bother them. This does not mean they are

happy about what happened just that they are letting go of the harsh feelings they hold to them,

helping them to calm down and not focus on them as much. This, just like the Cognitive

Processing Therapy, helps remove harsh feelings and once this is done it helps the individual

move on.

In conclusion, help for those who suffer with Post-Traumatic Stress disorder has grown

since the origin of it being studied. More and more people continue to need help with their daily
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struggle with PTSD. From people being considered cowards in both world wars, to now being

able to openly accept that you have a disorder and needing help for it, there has been a great

amount of change. Twenty-two veterans a day commit suicide due to their daily struggle with

PTSD. If everyone will come together and support those who struggle and get them the help that

they need, one day possibly no one will have to have long term PTSD. Throughout history many

have struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress disorder and were given little to know help due to

being considered a coward or mentally weak. Many see this as a small problem but in reality, it

is just the opposite and without help it has the potential to ruin peoples and their families lives.

Together everyone can make it easier to get one step closer to curing PTSD.

Works Cited

“PTSD: National Center for PTSD.” Treatment of PTSD - PTSD: National Center for

PTSD, 1

Jan. 2007, www.ptsd.va.gov/public/treatment/therapy-med/treatment-ptsd.asp.

“Frequently Asked Questions about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).” Brain &

Behavior Research Foundation, 16 Feb. 2018, www.bbrfoundation.org/faq/frequently-asked-

questions-about-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd.

Schuster, Sarah. “19 People Describe What It's Like to Have PTSD.” The Mighty,

themighty.com/2017/01/what-ptsd-feels-like/.
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Schulthies, Erin. “What Does Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Feel like?”

Mindyourmind.ca, 5 Jan. 2018, mindyourmind.ca/expression/blog/what-does-post-traumatic-

stress-disorder-feel.

Lynch, Steve. Personal Interview (date of interview)

“World War 1.” History of PTSD, historyofptsd.wordpress.com/world-war-i/.

“World War II.” History of PTSD, 15 Dec. 2011, historyofptsd.wordpress.com/world-

war-ii/.

“Post World War II & Vietnam.” History of PTSD, 17 Dec. 2011,

historyofptsd.wordpress.com/post-wwii-and-vietnam/.