Veterans, PTSD and the Web

Veterans, PTSD and the Web

Natalia Fehlberg

"There’s a nightmare that’s about to unfold over the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years, and it’s going to make the Vietnam veterans’ generation pale in comparison,” (Abbinett, 2008).

A local veterans advocate and Vietnam veteran, Jonathan Abbinett, underwent years of therapy for his PTSD. He predicts there will be a flood of cases due to the strain of multiple deployments on soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen, and the nature of the war on terrorism (Lee, 2008).

The Problem

Thousands of veterans suffer from post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); they become tortured souls. Reintegration into civilian life can be extremely difficult for many service men and women. Until recently, there was a negative stigma attached to PTSD. For decades, soldiers who admitted to having symptoms of PTSD were frequently hospitalized, feared as a threat to others, shunned from society, or labeled crazy and insane. Sadly, since the United States has a volunteer army, society often places the blame on soldiers for signing up. PTSD is not an easily accepted diagnosis, as it can harm any future military careers, as well as civilian careers. Therefore, the extent  of  the  psychological trauma endured by returning troops remains unknown, and they may not receive the necessary tools needed to successfully reintegrate into civilian life. Veterans are not only affected psychologically, their complications from PTSD have a significant impact on society. The sociological implications of veteran PTSD include domestic violence, maltreatment of children, alcoholism, homelessness, joblessness, and increased crime.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) defines PTSD as a mental disorder that can be manifested in a number of ways. After deployment, many soldiers become plagued with chronic, debilitating mental health problems that are associated with PTSD. Once known as shell shock, PTSD has affected the mental health of service personnel dating back to the First World War. However, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) have produced an astonishing number of psychiatric casualties. A recent study conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (Pine, 2009) estimates that 18.5% of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan screen positive for PTSD. While PTSD has haunted veterans for decades, OEF and OIF troops are being impacted by PTSD at greater rates, the question is why?

 

Why has PTSD increased?

USA Today (Lee, 2008) reported that 68% of all soldiers have been deployed to a combat zone more than once and 2,358 have had more than five tours of duty. The current “dwell -time” – the period troops are permitted back in the United States before they deploy again is only a year. There is also a strong and positive association between the total killed and the wounded in conflict and the number of psychiatric causalities. Subsequently, the answer to the rise in PTSD related illness is simple: frequent deployments and regular combat participation is severely detrimental to the mental health of our troops.

PTSD Awareness and the Web

The web has helped to increase awareness in a number of ways. Websites provide veterans with easy access to educational materials and with contacts that provide assistance to veterans suffering from PTSD. Social media such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter have also helped veterans dealing with PTSD. For example, these web tools connect veterans, allowing them to share experiences and provide words of encouragement to one another. In the box Real Life Stories and Resources, there are links to real life accounts of those dealing with PTSD in addition to important information on services to veterans, their families, and society about PTSD. The United States has the most powerful armed forces. This country does a magnificent job of preparing men and women for combat, and their courageous acts are immeasurable. However, preparing for reintegration into civilian life should complete the training of our service personnel, and we should ensure to properly take care of the men and women who have provided security for our nation.

References

Lee, S. (2008). The Modern Combat Veteran: Dissociative Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Influences on Criminality. Retrieved from: http://www.ptsdasoldiersperspective.blogspot.com/2008/12/modern-combat-veteran-dissociative.html

Pine, A. (2009). Getting inside their HEADS. U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, 135(9), 52-57.

Walker, S. (2010). Assessing the mental health consequences of military combat in Iraq and Afghanistan: A literature review. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 17, 790-796.