Steven Swagler

1. Background Summary:
PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD is a physiological and neurological imbalance as result of witnessing a traumatic
event. These events could be as small as a car accident and as large as fighting in a war or a
terrorist attack. The brain is designed to respond to moments or events based on knowledge and
experience. PTSD results from horrific or life altering events. Some believe that it is just a state
of mind, and you can convince yourself it isnt true but, for those who suffer from the disorder it
is like living in someone elses life. Luckily for these people it can be cured.
PTSD can form in response to many different events, but war and abuse are the primary
causes. The main portion of PTSD patients are war veterans who have completed tours overseas.
These men and woman of the armed forces have seen and experienced things that most of us
cannot even comprehend. They leave the states as a normal person and when they return, they
have an extremely hard time adjusting back to normal. After going through what they have, how
could they go back to normal? This is a very tough question because without experiencing a
situation like theirs, we cannot truly understand or relate to them.
This disorder, like most can also occur in children and civilian adults. For most civilian
cases, PTSD is related to some form of abuse: sexually or physically. Some symptoms of the
disorder are sleepless nights, anxiety, depression, and skittishness. The result of abuse can be
associated to a skittish puppy after being abused by its handler. A simple shut of a door will now
scare the dog. It is not healthy to live life dealing with skittishness. PTSD, like depression, can
be cured or suppressed with multiple types of medicine. Buddhas meditation is one type,
which is used to clear the mind of the patient. When the patient can control what they are
thinking, then success is achieved. Meditation is designed to change the automatic thinking of
the brain away from negative thought (Jonathan Haidt, 2006). This takes a lot of patience that
most patients do not have. The next two types of medicine are good substitutes to meditation.
Cognitive therapy, created by Aaron Beck in the 1960s is one of the substitutes. Beck created the
process of catching the bad thoughts or what was causing the anxiety and then challenging them
or proving that they cannot affect you anymore. The other form is a more modern pill group
known as SSRI or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Prozac is a pill in the SSRI pill group
that is commonly used to treat depression, PTSD, and anxiety. It takes five weeks for Prozac to
go into effect but once it does all life is restored for the patient (Jonathan Haidt, 2006). The
fourth way to cure PTSD is to find something that will shift the patients focus as Melissa Walker
states in her ted talk, Art can heal PTSD's invisible wounds (2015). Some found the cure in art
and dancing, while others have found the cure in supporting other humans or taking up childhood
hobbies.
The main issue that most people who suffer from PTSD have is finding emotional and mental
support. Without support, the sufferer will only get worse. Odds are that they will turn to
substance abuse to try and forget everything in their life, and when that does not work, some
resort to suicide. When that is not the option they take, substance abuse will make sure they end
up in jail. Every year, increasing progress is made to help those with PTSD, but if they do not get
support, then they will not make that transition back to their old life.
 Steven Swagler

2. Interviews:
Questions:
1. What comes to mind when you think of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
2. Do you experience or have you experienced PTSD? If so, can you describe the experience?
3. War Veterans and active military widely experience PTSD; Do you think it could also be
experienced by civilians or children?
4. What ways do you think people could cope or cure PTSD?
5. How might you think the treatment or coping might be different for a child vs. an adult who
experiences PTSD?

Interviews:
Brittney Morgan (civilian point of view)
1. I think of soldiers who have deployed.
2. No.
3. Anyone can experience it. People who have had very traumatic experiences can develop
PTSD.
4. I don't know if there is such a thing as a cure for it, but I think that counseling might help, and
medicine, if needed. I think that there should be more studies done to see what else might be able
to help a person deal with PTSD. I'm not sure that we, as a society, take it as seriously as we
should and devote the funding and time to more studies and developments that might help
someone with PTSD.
5. A child can't always tell you what happened, so it might be harder to "treat" it versus an adult
who might know what happened to cause PTSD. A child doesn't always know why they feel a
certain way, or can express why they feel a certain way, so it might be harder to diagnose or help
them through it.

Brian Swagler (Retired army pilot)

1. When I think of PTSD I think of anyone who is traumatized by an event that continues to
replay in their mind. No matter how hard you try to unsee or forget the dramatic event it remains
in your mind forever. How the person deals with that reminder is different for each person.
Obviously, some people can focus on the mission at hand and not become personally attached.
Not to say they are cold or uncaring, but they are just able to deal with it better than others.
Other people have a hard time dealing with what they have seen or experienced and it affects
their everyday life activities in a debilitating way.
2. I guess I would have to say yes, I have experienced PTSD. After 22 years in the military and
numerous wartime deployments I have seen a few things I wish I hadnt. Most of the time it
involved the enemy, so I could look at it in a different viewpoint. The tough ones were seeing our
 Steven Swagler

own troops getting injured or killed after a firefight. The toughest incident though involved
witnessing our company commander passing away after being shot while in flight. Not being
able to help him till landing at a secure base seemed like eternity. Needless to say, the medics
werent able to save him and we all lost a great Commander and friend. Its something Ill never
forget and never stop questioning what we could have done different to change the outcome of
that day. Whenever I start recalling the dark moments of that day, I make a conscious effort to
remember the good times we spent together and how lucky I was to know him.
3. As a retired veteran and now civilian, I am seeing the world from a different view. I recently
started working as a firefighter and emergency responder. After just a short time with this
organization I can see how easily these first responders can get into situations not easily
forgotten, and experience PTSD. When most people are running away from danger or tragedy,
these folks are running in and are often the first ones seeing and caring for those having the worst
day of their lives.
4. Im not sure there is any way to really cure PTSD. The world is an ugly and cruel place and
people are always going to get hurt or killed. These incidents will never go un-noticed though
and many people will ultimately be affected. Teaching people how to deal with or cope with
tragic situations and their results is the key. Talking with other people who have been around
similar situations is probably best. Understanding that you are not responsible takes a heavy load
off your chest.
5. Im sure a childs coping methods are much different that of adults. As an adult, we are
exposed to many forms of tragedy and can separate ourselves through life experience and the
ability to choose what we get involved with. Intelligent and rational adult conversations can go a
long way to coping with PTSD. Children are still trying to learn whats right and wrong,
communication skills, and are still emotionally immature. Being able to talk to children requires
one to put themselves in their shoes, and talk at their level of maturity. If not properly counseled
at a young age the emotion may stay with them and worsen over time. Finding a way to put the
event behind them and get back to normalcy should be key.

I used to think it was something only associated with military members who had seen or been
involved personally with dramatic explosions or gunfights.

3. Develop a chart:
Things that stood out:
1. Coping with PTSD
2. Effects of PTSD
3. What causes PTSD?
4. Prepping for war?
5. Are there different types?
6. Active curing
 Steven Swagler

7. PTSD in Children
8. Substance Abuse
Search Search tool Link/Publication Info:
Terms:
PTSD jstor http://www.jstor.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/stable/41484417
PTSD War Jstor http://www.jstor.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/stable/25682152
PTSD (This Ted Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/hector_garcia_we_train_soldiers_fo
one relates to r_war_let_s_train_them_to_come_home_too
prevention)

PTSD Heal Ted Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/melissa_walker_art_can_heal_ptsd_

s_invisible_wounds
PTSD NPR http://www.npr.org/2015/11/27/457375029/vet-manages-ptsd-
with-salsa-dancing
Symptoms Jstor http://www.jstor.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/stable/3982618
PTSD
PTSD jstor http://www.jstor.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/stable/41345079
Children
PTSD Jstor http://www.jstor.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/stable/20182954
Substance
PTSD Family npr http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?
storyId=13950862
Therapy Jstor http://www.jstor.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/stable/25454059.
Haidt, Jonathan. The happiness hypothesis: finding modern
truth in ancient wisdom. New York: Basic Books, 2006.

4. Write a proposal
For most people, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD for short is just another disorder that
seems to only be associated with military personnel and war veterans but it is more than just that.
PTSD is a change in life style; its something that impedes lifes progress. Many do not know
that it can affect many different people and that there are different ways to cure it. The most
common and recognized patient of PTSD is that of the person in combat. When a soldier goes
into combat they see and experience things that most people only see in video games or
superhero movies. This is a reality for those soldiers currently at war and adjusting back to their
normal life after a tour can be a huge challenge. Some can transition but others continue to mix
normal life and war life in a big bowl of terror. This is also the case for children and civilians
 Steven Swagler

when they are abused sexually or physically. With this in mind, I plan to research what the
implications of PTSD are.

5. Literature Review:

PTSD is a large topic that can be broken down into three main parts, who can be affected/what is
it, how do you know if you have it, and how it can be addressed. There are many sources that
support all points but the ones in the following paragraphs were chosen because I thought they
were the best for explanations.
PTSD is defined as an illness from witnessing traumatic events. 12 Although it most often occurs
in military personal after a tour in combat, it can occur in all types of people; men, women, and
children.10 Commonly PTSD occurs in civilian people who have witnessed terrorist attacks or
experienced any type of abuse: sexual, physical, or mental. 2 Most who suffer from it will
become unemployed and homeless which results in suicide for some and substance abuse for
others.13 The facts in the preceding statement is currently on the rise among US war veterans.1
You now know who PTSD occurs in but how do you know if you have it? A veteran Scott Fink
reports being very tense, untrusting, protective, and very attentive during his battle with it.4 He
states that he found himself scanning the roads for bombs as he drove down perfectly safe
streets.4 From an outside perspective, his wife reports that he is a changed man and is no longer
happy and open.4 If you can relate to him after an experience then you might just have the
disorder. PTSD patients need support and a way to address their disorder; Scott Fink found this
with his wife.
PTSD is like depression and anxiety in the sense of curing because a lot of the symptoms
overlap. Johnathan Haidt and Alison Tonks both suggest cognitive therapy as an effective way to
cure these mental disorders.14 This is expanded on by Hector Garcia who states that soldiers are
trained to fight but not trained to come home.7 He suggests that cognitive therapy is now the
homebound adjustment training.7 It is also suggested that Meditation and SSRIs or selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors will also help or cure PTSD, depression, and anxiety 5. All the three
preceding ways provide a method of getting back to normal life but used with a combination of
individual exercise is even more successful. Patients have found other ways to get over their
disorder. One of these is art therapy, an offshoot of cognitive therapy, developed by Walter Reid
hospital that allows the patients to express their experiences via drawing and clay models.8
Another is what Chris Fahey has found to be successful, salsa dancing. 91

1Xenakis, Stephen N., and Matthew J. Friedman. "UNDERSTANDING

PTSD." The Wilson Quarterly (1976-) 36, no. 1 (2012): 8-9.
http://www.jstor.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/stable/41484417.Smith, Tyler C., Deborah L.
Wingard, Margaret A.K. Ryan, Donna Kritz-Silverstein, Donald J. Slymen, and James F.
Sallis. "PTSD Prevalence, Associated Exposures, and Functional Health Outcomes in a
Large, Population-Based Military Cohort." Public Health Reports (1974-) 124, no. 1 (2009):
 Steven Swagler

6. Works cited:
B. B. "Aging Vets Take Stress Disorder to Heart." Science News 171, no. 4 (2007): 61.
Brady, Kathleen T., Sudie E. Back, and Scott F. Coffey. "Substance Abuse and Posttraumatic
Stress Disorder." Current Directions in Psychological Science 13, no. 5 (2004): 206-09.
Garcia, Hector. "We train soldiers for war. Let's train them to come home, too." Lecture, Ted Talk
, January 23, 2017. November 2015. Accessed January 23, 2017.
Haidt, Jonathan. The happiness hypothesis: finding modern truth in ancient wisdom. New York:
Basic Books, 2006.

90-102.
2. Brady, Kathleen T., Sudie E. Back, and Scott F. Coffey. "Substance Abuse
and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder." Current Directions in Psychological Science 13, no. 5
(2004): 206-09.
3. "PTSD Takes Toll on Iraq Veteran and Family." NPR (audio blog), August
25, 2017. Accessed January 22, 2017.
4. Haidt, Jonathan. The happiness hypothesis: finding modern truth in
ancient wisdom. New York: Basic Books, 2006.
5. Tonks, Alison. "Commentary: Information For Patients Receiving
Cognitive Therapy." BMJ: British Medical Journal 326, no. 7391 (2003): 702.
6. Garcia, Hector. "We train soldiers for war. Let's train them to come home,
too." Lecture, Ted Talk , January 23, 2017. November 2015. Accessed January 23, 2017.
7. Walker, Melissa. "Art can heal PTSD's invisible wounds." Lecture, Ted
Talk , January 22, 2017. November 2015. Accessed January 22, 2017.
8. "Vet Manages PTSD With Salsa Dancing." NPR (audio blog), November
25, 2015. Accessed January 22, 2017.
9. Yorbik, Ozgr, Derya Iren Akbiyik, Pinar Kirmizigul, and Teoman
Shmen. "Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Children After the 1999 Marmara
Earthquake in Turkey." International Journal of Mental Health 33, no. 1 (2004): 46-58.
10. B. B. "Aging Vets Take Stress Disorder to Heart." Science News 171, no. 4
(2007): 61.
11. Xenakis, Stephen N., and Matthew J. Friedman. "UNDERSTANDING
PTSD." The Wilson Quarterly (1976-) 36, no. 1 (2012): 8-9.
http://www.jstor.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/stable/41484417.; Smith, Tyler C., Deborah L.
Wingard, Margaret A.K. Ryan, Donna Kritz-Silverstein, Donald J. Slymen, and James F.
Sallis. "PTSD Prevalence, Associated Exposures, and Functional Health Outcomes in a
Large, Population-Based Military Cohort." Public Health Reports (1974-) 124, no. 1 (2009):
90-102.
12. Xenakis, Stephen N., and Matthew J. Friedman. "UNDERSTANDING
PTSD." The Wilson Quarterly (1976-) 36, no. 1 (2012): 8-9.
http://www.jstor.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/stable/41484417.; Brady, Kathleen T., Sudie E.
Back, and Scott F. Coffey. "Substance Abuse and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder." Current
Directions in Psychological Science 13, no. 5 (2004): 206-09.
Steven Swagler

PTSD Takes Toll on Iraq Veteran and Family." NPR (audio blog), August 25, 2017. Accessed
January 22, 2017.
Smith, Tyler C., Deborah L. Wingard, Margaret A.K. Ryan, Donna Kritz-Silverstein, Donald J.
Slymen, and James F. Sallis. "PTSD Prevalence, Associated Exposures, and Functional
Health Outcomes in a Large, Population-Based Military Cohort." Public Health Reports
(1974-) 124, no. 1 (2009): 90-102.
Swagler, Brian, and Brittney Morgan. "PTSD ." E-mail interview by author. February 1, 2017.
Tonks, Alison. "Commentary: Information For Patients Receiving Cognitive Therapy." BMJ:
British Medical Journal 326, no. 7391 (2003): 702.
Vet Manages PTSD With Salsa Dancing." NPR (audio blog), November 25, 2015. Accessed
January 22, 2017.
Walker, Melissa. "Art can heal PTSD's invisible wounds." Lecture, Ted Talk , January 22, 2017.
November 2015. Accessed January 22, 2017.
Xenakis, Stephen N., and Matthew J. Friedman. "UNDERSTANDING PTSD." The Wilson
Quarterly (1976-) 36, no. 1 (2012): 8-9.
http://www.jstor.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/stable/41484417.
Yorbik, Ozgr, Derya Iren Akbiyik, Pinar Kirmizigul, and Teoman Shmen. "Post-traumatic
Stress Disorder Symptoms in Children After the 1999 Marmara Earthquake in
Turkey." International Journal of Mental Health 33, no. 1 (2004): 46-58.
http://sswagler.wixsite.com/ptsd/textbook Password: UWRT

13. Haidt, Jonathan. The happiness hypothesis: finding modern truth in

ancient wisdom. New York: Basic Books, 2006.; Tonks, Alison. "Commentary: Information
For Patients Receiving Cognitive Therapy." BMJ: British Medical Journal 326, no. 7391
(2003): 702.