Betsy Streisand PTSD

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Treating War’s Toll on the Mind Response Paper – By Aisha Pitt 03/12/2010 In reading this article written by Betsy Streisand it is apparent that thousands of soldiers suffer from Post Traumatic Stress disorder during and after combat. When they suffer from being traumatized during the war, and when they are still in combat, little help is made available to the soldiers and they are soon pushed back into the war before they have the chance to fully heal. When a soldier returns home with PTSD they have the inability to turn the switch from soldier to a regular citizen. They can return with depression and anxiety because they can feel like there is a complete lack of safety for them and their family. Soldiers have a hard time integrating…show more content…
I wonder how come the health of our soldiers is not a primary concern and why is there not appropriate help available at the time of need or thereafter? I realize there might be some legitimit answers like there is a lack of money to support every soldier with psychiatric long term help, or there is a lack of soldiers to excuse every one that is suffering from PTSD. But, shouldn’t greater measures be taken to ensure that all of the soldiers needs are met? I believe that in reading this essay the war has huge effects on a soldiers’ mental health, that to better protect our soldiers appropriate help options should be available at the time of need, and that protecting and caring for our soldiers should be a nation’s priority. When a soldier is suffering from PTSD he may experience rage, depression, flashbacks, emotional numbness, and hyper vigilance. They can experience the inability to stop believing that they are in battle during everyday life. Effects like these can seriously jeopardize their family life. As one former soldier has said in the article, “It’s almost like your family has its own form of PTSD just from being around you every…show more content…
For instance, in this article the military states that when a soldier is experiencing sighs of mental trouble or PTSD they will move him to a location not far from the battle field to rest for a couple days and speak with someone about their traumatic experiences and probably receive some medication. I think it is good when mental issues like these are recognized by higher ranking officials and they realize that some help needs to be enforced; although I don’t think enough is being done to let the soldier properly heal before he is sent back into battle. I think it would be more useful to completely remove a soldier suffering from PTSD from any dangerous war like area, in order to help decrease their anxiety level. Give them a psychiatrist to speak with and help with their traumatic experiences. Then when they show signs of mental stability send them back. Another soldier had said in this article that after being severely traumatized while in battle he was diagnosed with PTSD. After his tour was finished he was given sleeping pills and anti-depressants, then several months later he sought some mental health care. They had forced him back into battle stating that “...his problem wasn’t serious enough.” When he returned, he was referred to a hospital for mental care twice, each time with more medication, and finally without his weapon. “I stopped running missions, and I

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