Donnie Patton

February 17, 2016

UWRT 1102
How Does PTSD Effect Returning Veterans
Reflection: Writing this proposal was actually more challenging than I had anticipated. While I
was researching, I realized that I had unearthed a plethora of questions and I am not sure that I
can answer them all in my thesis. I decided to go ahead and narrow my options to the main
points that I want educate my readers about.
Since its creation in 1776, the United States of America has been at war for a combined
total of 222 years. This means that out of 240 years, fighting in countless wars on six of the
seven continents, America has been engaged in armed conflict for 93% of its total existence. In
total, approximately 3 million American troops have died fighting for our nation, which is a
miniscule number compared to the actual amount of veterans who have served their country. For
generations, American soldiers have returned home from the front lines after witnessing the
horrors of war. Many of those that returned came back as completely changed men, only mere
shadows of their past self. For years, these veterans quietly suffered a wide variety of symptoms,
ranging from addiction, mood swings, depression, and in some cases suicide. This condition has
been referred to by many names of the years: soldiers heart, shell shock, battle fatigue, and postVietnam syndrome. Nowadays this condition is now commonly known as Post Traumatic Stress
Syndrome.
In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association officially recognized and began
diagnosing Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, otherwise known as PTSD. Officially, PTSD is

defined as a mental disorder that can develop after a person is exposed to one or more traumatic
events, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, terrorism or other threats on a person's
life. After many experiments and random studies performed by the Department of Veteran
Affairs, it has been proven that returning veterans that suffer from PTSD have an especially hard
time rehabilitating to normal civilian life. The condition can effect a veterans mental stability,
their capability to interact socially with friends and family, as well as the individuals overall
physical wellbeing. I chose this topic out of interest and curiosity on the condition itself. My
father, who served in the Gulf Wars, Iraq, and Afghanistan as an Army Ranger has begun to show
signs of this condition. In general, our nations Special Forces a regularly exposed to more
intense and dangerous situations than the average enlisted man. My father has been one of my
biggest heroes throughout my life, and my goal from this inquiry is to gain a better
understanding of his condition so I may be able to help him in the future as he gets older.
PTSD, which is clinically defined as a mental disorder, can affect different individuals in
various ways. Some of the most common side effects, include violent flashbacks to a traumatic
event. These flashbacks can be triggered by even the simplest things in everyday life. For
example, many veterans have a hard time being around loud noises such as fireworks. These
sounds trigger subconscious memories of cannon fire, exploding mortars, and artillery shells,
hence the previous name Shell Shock. These subconscious memories can also trigger vivid
nightmares, causing a host of sleep related problems. Reports of depression also run rampant
through the veteran community. Some veterans may become detached, lose interest in specific
activities, have difficulty feeling positive emotions, and begin to develop suicidal thoughts.
Although depression has become a hot topic for research in previous years, little is still known
about the condition and efforts to find a permanent cure have come up empty handed.

Veterans are also not the only ones whose lives are effected by PTSD. The soldiers
family are also left to combat the symptoms of this condition. When a veteran begins to display
the mental side effects of PTSD, the relationships they have with friends and family become
increasingly stressed. As mentioned earlier, as an effect of a veterans increasingly lowered
interest and motivation to participate in daily activities, their loved ones can become very
frustrated with this newly acquired behavior. Veterans suffering from PTSD are also prone to
mood swings and destructive behavior, which could leave their families concerned about their
own safety. Over time, these repeated behaviors can permanently damage or even destroy
relationships. Its our job as loved ones to educate ourselves on their condition and attempt to
understand what they are going through.
One of the most documented physical side effects of PTSD is substance abuse and
addiction. To help combat the mental stains of PTSD, many veterans begin to use tobacco,
alcohol, or pain killers as a crutch and eventually becoming completely dependent on the
substance to the point of addiction. These addictions can progress into serious medical conditions
later down the road if the addiction goes untreated. Another common side effect from the
constant stress of PTSD is sleep deprivation and weight loss. The stress can negatively impact
the sleep patterns and eating habits of affected veterans. Another example of the physical effects
of posttraumatic stress has to do with the hippocampus, which is the region of the brain that
plays a role in a persons memory. Recent research has shown that subject who have been
exposed to an extreme stressor sometimes have a smaller hippocampus than subjects who have
not experienced trauma. This is significant in understanding the effects of trauma in general and
the impact of PTSD, specifically since this part of the brain plays an important part in developing
new memories and experiences.

In conclusion, during this thesis paper I would like to further my knowledge on the
overall subject of Post-Traumatic stress. I would like to research more about the different types
of therapy and care that is available to veterans that have been diagnosed with PTSD. I also want
to further societys awareness and understanding on this disorder that so many of our soldiers are
suffering from.