Ptsd Is Not Just For Veterans Its A Trauma Disorder That Affects Millions
Research shows that individuals who suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder, better known as PTSD, have experienced severe trauma at some point in their lives. The trauma could come in the form of sexual assault, a natural disaster, a car accident or anything that would prompt someone to have a harrowing reaction.
However, many believe that PTSD is a mental health condition that affects only those who have come back home from war, but this is not the case.
We must see PTSD, and other trauma-related disorders, as mental health issues that face many survivors of human rights violations, said Tina Kempin Reuter, associate professor in the University of Alabama at Birminghams College of Arts and Sciences and director for UAB Institute for Human Rights. Whether theyre survivors of genocide, ethnic cleansing, racial or ethnic persecution, and other forms of direct and indirect violence, many of these individuals continue to battle their traumas across their lifetime.
PTSD affects 3.5 percent of the U.S. adult population, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or approximately 8 million Americans who live with the condition. Approximately 37 percent of people diagnosed with PTSD display serious symptoms.
Symptoms can include flashbacks, night sweats, insomnia, panic attacks, and isolating themselves from friends and family.
Many who experience PTSD also may struggle with suicidal ideation and may attempt to take their life.
How to cope with trauma
What Are The Risk Factors For Ptsd Among Military Service Members
Risk factors for PTSD among people in the military include lower education status, previous traumas, drug and alcohol use, poor social support, and a history of mental illness. Prior to joining the military, if you have mental health issues, youre more likely to develop PTSD, says Bret Moore, PsyD, a prescribing psychologist and board-certified clinical psychologist in San Antonio, Texas, and author of The Posttraumatic Growth Workbook.
Genetics may also make certain individuals more predisposed to developing PTSD than others. In a study in Molecular Psychiatry, 29 percent of a group of American and European women who had PTSD had a genetic risk factor for the mental illness. They also found that those people who had other mental illnesses were at a higher risk for developing PTSD after exposure to trauma.
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Veterans Statistics: Ptsd Depression Tbi Suicide
The following veterans statistics are from a major study done by the RAND Corporation, a study by the Congressional Research Service, the Veterans Administration, and the US Surgeon General.
PTSD statistics are a moving target that is fuzzy: do you look only at PTSD diagnosed within one year of return from battle? Do you only count PTSD that limits a soldiers ability to go back into battle or remain employed, but that may have destroyed a marriage or wrecked a family? Do you look at the PTSD statistics for PTSD that comes up at any time in a persons life: it is possible to have undiagnosed PTSD for 30 years and not realize itpossibly never or until you find a way to get better and then you realize there is another way to live. When you count the PTSD statistic of what percentage of a population gets PTSD, is your overall starting group combat veterans, veterans who served in the target country, or all military personnel for the duration of a war?
There is a similar problem with suicide statistics. The DoD and their researchers tend to lose track of military personnel once they retire, and not all suicides will be counted as a military suicide . A recent study found U.S. veteran suicide rates to be be as high as 5,000 a year.
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Leaving The Army ‘can Be Hard’
Explaining the high figures among veterans, Prof Nicola Fear from the IoPPN, pointed out that people with mental health issues are more likely to leave the Army. The act of leaving, with the corresponding loss of social support, can also trigger conditions.
“We know that individuals who experience mental health issues are more likely to leave the armed forces.
“We also know that the transition of leaving the armed forces can introduce stresses. You may need to find somewhere to live, you may need to find a job.”
There is also far greater awareness of PTSD and mental health issues generally, popularised by dramas like BBC TV’s Bodyguard, and many veterans feel more comfortable talking about their condition.
PTSD affects between 4-5% of the UK population, with the highest rate of 12% among women between 16-24 years old. Victims of sexual assault have the highest rates of PTSD.
How Common Is Ptsd In Veterans
When you serve in the military, you may be exposed to different types of traumas than civilians. The war you served in may also affect your risk because of the types of trauma that were common. War zone deployment, training accidents and military sexual trauma may lead to PTSD. Learn how many Veterans have PTSD.
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When you are in the military, you may see combat. You may have been on missions that exposed you to horrible and life-threatening experiences. These types of events can lead to PTSD.
The number of Veterans with PTSD varies by service era:
- Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom : About 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans who served in OIF or OEF have PTSD in a given year.
- Gulf War : About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans have PTSD in a given year.
- Vietnam War: About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam Veterans were currently diagnosed with PTSD at the time of the most recent study in the late 1980s, the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study . It is estimated that about 30 out of every 100 of Vietnam Veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime.
Other factors in a combat situation can add more stress to an already stressful situation. This may contribute to PTSD and other mental health problems. These factors include what you do in the war, the politics around the war, where the war is fought, and the type of enemy you face.
Among Veterans who use VA health care, about:
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Veterans With Ptsd: Associated Health Risks
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:
Sexual Assault In The Military
Sexual misconduct is disturbingly common within the United States military. In fact, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs coined the term military sexual trauma to describe all forms of sexual assault or harassment experienced during military service. 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:
- Twenty-three percent of female veterans reported sexual assault while serving in the military.
- 55 percent of female veterans and 38% of male veterans experienced sexual harassment while serving in the military.
- Though stereotypes suggest survivors of sexual assault are predominantly female, more than half of veterans with military sexual trauma are men.
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.S. Department of Defence. Additionally, VA health care facilities often offer services specifically designed for veterans who were sexually assaulted while serving.
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Compounding Factors Further Impact Mental Health And Well
Complicating matters is that veterans can suffer from more than one invisible wound, which, in turn, further compounds mental health issues.
It doesnt help that military members can spend long periods of time away from family and friends.
A huge part of successful rehabilitation from traumatic brain injury depends not only on your support services at home, but also your family network and friend network, because they often take up a large portion of the burden of your rehabilitation, Przybylski said.
When people withdraw or are isolated from their support systems, they can turn to alcohol or drugs. And when patients are impaired by substance abuse, theyre more likely to be even more angry and aggressive which can further alienate them from family and friends, Przybylski said.
At the same time, since veterans have a much higher incidence of PTSD than the general population, the combination of PTSD and traumatic brain injury is more profound in terms of its effects on an individual, Przybylski said. With PTSD, you have difficulty concentrating. Youre distracted. You have difficulty communicating.
Its not just additive its a combination that makes it much more difficult for someone to successfully rehabilitate.
And when you combine traumatic brain injury with substance abuse and PTSD, the resulting cognitive impairment can make it even more difficult for a person to cope, Przybylski said.
What Loved Ones Of Veterans Can Do
When a veteran does ask for help, the most important thing to do is just listen.
We all have two ears and one mouth for a reason, Pallister said. So my big takeaway is, listen more than you talk, especially if its one of your subordinates or direct reports.
And dont try to make it like you know where theyre coming from unless youve actually been there, he said. Just because your uncle fought in Korea doesnt mean you understand the kid who did three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
Pallisters other piece of advice is this, Dont baby a veteran. And dont try to put the person in a box. The majority of veterans are no different than any other guy or gal walking down the street.
From the perspective of a military spouse, Bradleys advice comes in three parts.
First, remind them that you love them, and love is unconditional, she said. Second, remind yourself that you love yourself, because its easy to take on the burden and think that youre responsible.
And the third thing is to get help, she said. If you have EAP, call your EAP. Cigna has a veteran support line. Find someone to talk to. And find some active care that you can do for yourself every day go for a walk, go and get a coffee, because if you dont find a way to look outside your tunnel, youll never get out of it.
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Helping Veterans With Ptsd
The first step involves educating yourself about how someone with PTSD typically reacts. According to the National Center for PTSD, a person with this mental health condition may appear angry, tense, or worried. They may also come across as numb, distant, or detached.
Veterans with PTSD may also be easily irritated, jumpy, or nervous, while being more demanding or protective at the same time. Intimacy issues are not uncommon with PTSD either.
All of these responses can affect family and friends, who may feel hurt, dejected, angry, or sad, especially if they dont recognize these patterns as being normal reactions to PTSD. So, creating a positive response first requires that you understand these responses enough to know they are a normal way of dealing with this condition.
The second step is to get the veteran the outside help he or she needs. This may involve counseling-type therapy sessions , or even family therapy so the everyone involved can work through the PTSD together. In this case, it helps to find a professional who specializes in the disorder.
- a brief bio, along with qualifications and credentials
- specialties, issues covered, and treatment approaches
- cost per session and insurance plans accepted
- contact information for setting up an introductory meeting
The Rates Of Ptsd In Military Veterans
Regardless of which war or conflict you look at, high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans have been found. Throughout history, people have recognized that exposure to combat situations can negatively impact the mental health of those involved in these situations.
In fact, the diagnosis of PTSD historically originates from observations of the effect of combat on soldiers. The grouping of symptoms that we now refer to as PTSD has been described in the past as “combat fatigue,” “shell shock,” or “war neurosis.”
For this reason, researchers have been particularly interested in examining the extent to which PTSD occurs among veterans. Rates of PTSD in Vietnam veterans, Persian Gulf War veterans, and Iraq War veterans are provided below.
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Social Determinants Remain A Factor
Too often, when veterans do ask for help, the mental health resources available can be dependent upon who they are and where they live.
Social determinants of health are a big issue, said Przybylski, who also serves on the New Jersey Advisory Council on Traumatic Brain Injury. The resources available and circumstances vary widely depending on where you live.
The chart above shows that social and economic factors like education, income, discrimination, and more, can impact health and well-being.
Wendy Barnes, who served for 10 years as a Medical Service Corps Officer and is now president of Express Scripts, said there are opportunities to expand mental health resources to underserved areas through virtual and telehealth.
There are really some phenomenal resources out there, said Barnes, who is also the executive sponsor for Cignas Salute ERG. But I dont think we have nearly the breadth that there should be, and I still think there is an opportunity for more expansive coverage.
We all dont have the benefit of living in major metropolitan areas that have a plethora of mental health services, she said. Thats one reason that virtual access is so exciting.
Ptsd Leads To Addiction
Without the proper tools, veterans often turn to substance abuse as a means to cope. In fact, one study of Vietnam veterans found that 74% of the veterans had co-occurring substance use disorders. For these veterans and many like them, their mental health suffered as a result of PTSD, which led to them developing issues like alcoholism and drug addiction.
But why is this such a common issue for veterans? Well, one explanation is that veterans lack community support. Veterans often struggle to readjust to civilian life, and lack of knowledge about veteran rehabilitation resources can make them feel isolated and without help. With seemingly nobody to turn to, addiction flourishes in vulnerable veteran communities.
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Your Gender May Play A Role
Both men and women who serve in the military are sometimes at risk of suffering military sexual trauma . This is defined as sexual harassment or sexual assault that occurs while you serve in the military, and it can greatly increase your risk of developing PTSD and related issues. While this can happen to veterans regardless of gender, women are far more likely to suffer MST.
Specifically, four percent of male military personnel reported unwanted sexual contact, compared to 23 percent of female military personnel. Moreover, 38 percent of men said they were sexually harassed, whereas 55 percent of women experienced harassment. These numbers suggest that women experience MST at a much higher rate than male service members, particularly when you consider that women make up only 14 percent of the active duty Army.
In short, these numbers show that while all veterans should carefully consider whether MST could contribute to PTSD symptoms, female veterans should show extra caution in monitoring their mental health.
Combat Veterans Face Increased Risk
The work you did while serving can greatly impact the likelihood that you will develop PTSD. Among veterans who served in active combat, 17 percent reported symptoms of PTSD. There are several possible reasons for this.
First, combat veterans are more likely to suffer injuries in the line of duty. Physical injuries can contribute to this risk, particularly traumatic brain injuries that may affect how a veteran deals with trauma. As veterans face the struggle of physically healing from their injuries, many do not receive proper mental health care. In this way, the mental effects of trauma go untreated, which can greatly increase the risk of PTSD.
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Selected Major Accomplishments In Va Research
- 1989:Created the National Center for PTSD to address the needs of Veterans and other trauma survivors with PTSD
- 2007: Confirmed the value of prolonged exposure therapy as a treatment for women Veterans with PTSD
- 2013:Funded, along with the Department of Defense, two consortia to improve treatment for PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury
Ptsd Symptoms: What Affected Veterans Experiences
Individuals with PTSD experience a diverse array of symptoms, and veterans with a diagnosis of PTSD may face several kinds of challenging thoughts and feelings. However, PTSD is generally characterized by a few distinct categories of symptoms, which mental health professionals use to assess and treat the disorder.These symptom categories, as described in the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , capture the kinds of mental health problems that veterans with PTSD experience to differing degrees. These DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for PTSD are widely accepted in psychiatry and related mental health fields. To understand the daily struggles that PTSD can entail or to assess whether you might be experiencing this condition yourself consider the following:
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