PTSD, or posttraumatic stress disorder, sometimes develops after a person has experienced a trauma. It is normal for a person to experience PTSD symptoms after a traumatic event, but when a person continues to experience emotional effects resulting from the trauma long after what is considered normal, a diagnosis of PTSD is made.
Any person can develop PTSD after a traumatic event. Military personnel in combat situations have a high likelihood of experiencing trauma. They are subjected to many stressful events, which include but are not limited to, having to kill or injure enemies, being a witness to the injury or deaths of fellow soldiers and becoming injured during combat. The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio reports that "recent studies of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans, 5 percent to 17 percent of U.S. military personnel returning from deployments have symptoms of PTSD."
Reexperiencing
After combat, military personnel may have nightmares and flashbacks that depict combat situations. The nightmares are often very realistic and upsetting to the individual. The flashback images that enter the person's mind can seem extremely vivid, even real. People with PTSD who experience flashbacks may have trouble concentrating at work or at home. Frequent nightmares and flashbacks can bring on symptoms of stress and depression.
Withdrawal
In an attempt to not feel the emotions associated with unresolved feelings of combat trauma, people with PTSD may totally withdrawal from feeling their emotions. To spare themselves the pain, PTSD sufferers may become numb and may be viewed by others as cold and uncaring. Drugs and alcohol are sometimes used in an attempt to push out thoughts and emotions. Sometimes family and friends believe talking to the person with PTSD may help, but these attempts to talk often end up with the individual with PTSD getting angry. The outburst of anger is an attempt to avoid reexperiencing emotions associated with past combat situations.
Avoidance
Military personal who have PTSD will often try to avoid anyone or anything that triggers the memory of combat situations. That can mean avoiding military friends or even scents or landscape features that resemble combat settings. Triggers can be as subtle as the scent of a tree or the sight of sand.
Excitability
Excitability is a common symptom associated with combat-related PTSD. Individuals with combat-related PTSD may feel like they are in constant danger and may always be on the look-out for threats. The constant feeling of imminant danger can cause the person to feel irritable. The PTSD sufferer who is easily excitable may also be prone to outbursts of anger.
Treatment
Recognizing the symptoms of PTSD is the first step in helping affected military personnel. PTSD not only affects the person who has it; it can affect relationships with employers, friends and family. Catching PTSD early on is useful in preventing or minimizing relationship problems. Help for military personnel who have PTSD is available through therapy. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, the goal of therapy for military personnel with combat-related PTSD is to help them learn cope with past trauma and learn ways to deal with the stress so they can return to living a normal life. The National Center for PTSD states that cognitive/behavioral therapy along with medications to relieve anxiety are effective in the treatment for PTSD.
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