Military Families and Stress

Soldiers face a huge amount of stress and emotional upheaval in active war. The constant fear of losing their lives, fighting for their country and the trauma of having to take another’s life can be emotionally damaging. Another set of people who undergo a huge amount of such emotional distress is the families of such soldiers.

Having a member of one’s family leave home for battle is the equivalent of having a family member go out into the great unknown. Going about daily life knowing that someday there may be a knock on the door bringing in bad news is difficult. With children and elders at home, handling such delicate situations can be extremely difficult. Children ask questions on the whereabouts of a parent, the elders jump at the sound of the phone or the doorbell. Through it all, the strong one in the family has to maintain a façade of calm that can be nerve-wracking at times. In most cases, it has to be understood that such mental angst comes from supporting the soldiers and not necessarily the war they are fighting.

Families also undergo stress when their loved ones come back home. Whether they come home with an injury or not, there is mental trauma. Many soldiers come back with post-traumatic stress disorder. Dealing with such soldiers and maintaining the peace in the family can be quite difficult. If a soldier comes home with an injury, permanent or otherwise, it takes a massive toll on the family that is trying to look after him the best they can. They have to deal with tempers, emotions and pain while all time maintaining a calm face in front of family and friends.

Filed Under: Protests, Society Tagged With: , ,

The Effect of War on Military Soldiers

Undoubtedly, war is not a simple experience. On the battlefield, war can be devastating on your nerves. For most soldiers, the emotional trauma of having been part of war does not end with the war or when they come back to the safety of their homes. In most cases, coming home is simply the beginning of a long road to getting better.

The most common aftermath of war is posttraumatic stress disorder. This refers to some extreme situations that soldiers may have faced, which are often beyond the scope of human nature. The experiences remain suppressed in them and can take a toll on their mental and physical health. The extent of PTSD as well as the severity of its manifestations varies with each soldier and their emotional capacity. For some it may just be about going into depression. For others, there could be triggers that lead into panic attacks or hyperventilation. In some extreme cases, hallucinations and the thought of being transported back to the field come into play.

This disorder has to be diagnosed and treated in the early stages itself. It can reach the stage of preventing the soldier from trying to lead a normal life. There have been cases of suicide attempts. While for the soldiers of yesteryear, advanced medical and psychological help was not available; today, science has advanced to a great extent. A soldier can now sign up for several forms of treatment as well as become a member of a veteran’s organization and get counseling. There is Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, medication that includes anti-depressants and the like that a soldier can use. Of course, these have to be undertaken with strict medical and family supervision.

Filed Under: News, War Tagged With: , ,

Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans

Brain structures involved in dealing with stre...
Image via Wikipedia

War time can be an extremely stressful and trying time. Many soldiers experience events or witness things that are better left behind in the war zone. Unfortunately, those events don’t always stay in the war zone and live forever in the soldier’s mind. They often reply the event or what they saw over and over in the minds and it can lead to a lot of distressing problems in a soldier or veteran. The reliving of distressing events is known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.

Many soldiers and veterans may be suffering from this disorder without realizing it. It is important for loved ones or friends to realize the signs of post traumatic stress disorder so that if their loved one is suffering from it they can encourage them to get professional help.

Here are the symptoms and signs a person is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Often times these people are reliving these events and have a problem with sleeping.

Irritability or Trouble concentrating on things.

Avoidance of talking about the event or area. Many times those suffering from the post traumatic stress disorder often will try not to refer to the place they were at or the event that occurred. When a person brings up the event watch for signs of irritability, anger or a number of issues that could be signs of post traumatic stress disorder.

Depression Symptoms. A lot of the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder mimic those of depression. It can include mood swings, anger, suicidal thoughts, avoiding friends or loved ones, outbursts, sleeping a lot, fatigued and a number of other issues.

Noticing the signs of post traumatic stress disorder can help loved ones know if a veteran or soldier needs to seek medical help to treat the disorder. The sooner the problem is tackled the better chance they have of recovering.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Casualties Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Basic Information on the National Center for PTSD

Being a veteran of war comes with a huge risk that the veteran will suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. Post traumatic stress disorder may not show signs immediately upon return from war but can gradually show up over time. The government in an effort to acknowledge the potential for post traumatic stress disorder has set up an exclusive branch of the veterans affairs office just for that.

The National Center for PTSD is a division of the veterans affairs office that is devoted to helping those that suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. This center can help tackle the issues that arise from suffering from post traumatic stress disorder ranging from financial assistance, therapy sessions, rehabilitation and even helping those at war re-acclimate themselves back into normal society.

Here are some of the services that the National Center for PTSD offers veterans who return from war.

Clinical Help. There is help finding the right placement for this type of disorder. This can range from figuring out if just therapy is needed or a more intense rehabilitation program will be needed.

Financial Assistance. While a veteran is dealing with the issues that arose from post traumatic stress disorder they will need financial help for themselves and their family. The Center for PTSD will help sort out the issue of medical bills, daily living costs and other financial issues that may arise such as disability or pensions that can be obtained if one suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.

Community Awareness. Friends and family members still do not realize the potential for post traumatic stress disorder that a veteran can have upon returning. The Center for PTSD works to educate family and friends about the risks and signs of post traumatic stress disorder. By having them educated they can see the signs of this disorder and get the veteran immediate help instead of waiting and having them struggle through it.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Help Military Families: Make Peace, not War

"Reach Out and Read" now reaches mil...
Image by familymwr via Flickr

Everyone pays the terrible price of war in one form or another, but it is the military families, perhaps, that pay the most. If the family is extremely lucky, they must only endure the absence of their loved one for the duration of his or her tour of duty. That can be quite stressing in and of itself, never knowing for sure about the safety and well being of their brave service man or woman.

Many military families are not so lucky, however. All too often these families are faced with the tragic news of a terrible loss. If not death, then severe injury or the loss of limb that requires a prosthesis and a complete re-learning of how to do every day tasks. Then there are those military families who are grateful to have their loved one return seemingly unscathed, only to be faced with the horror that is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

What kind of efforts are there to help these military families cope with the consequences of war? Does anyone care? Certainly there are countless organizations all over the country that are dedicated to helping military families obtain the assistance they need, whether it be financial, medical, or psychological, but these organizations tend to be small and poorly funded. Their intentions are pure, their efforts heroic, but they can only do so much.

Perhaps the best effort to help military families should come in the form of prevention. Imagine how much the need for assistance could be reduced if the country could simply make peace, not war. There will admittedly be times when war is unavoidable and necessary to protect the freedoms that are right and good for this country. Waging war merely for political agendas and financial gain, however, speaks to a distorted sense of power and entitlement. Active protests against this kind of war would do far more for military families than any amount of recovery efforts ever will.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Volunteering Tagged With: , , , , , , ,