Why is PTSD so common?

2014-09-10T13:37:24-04:00

About 7.8% of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives--with women twice as likely as men to develop it. In the military, 30% of men and women who have spent time in war zones experience PTSD. Sexual harassment/assault is another common cause within the military.

Should treatment for PTSD be more individualized to the specific causes? How can someone struggling get the appropriate support for his or her journey to heal?

Response by Cpl Dennis F. made Sep 16 at 2014 1:36 PM

2014-09-16T13:36:04-04:00

The biggest part to treating this from my experience, is having the counseling performed by those who have had the same or similar experiences. You do not have an auto mechanic repair a jet engine and you do not have civilians, no matter how well trained, counsel those coming from combat. This was done in the past with poor success. Hopefully it is no longer the case.

Response by SSG William Patton made Sep 16 at 2014 3:38 PM

2014-09-16T15:38:24-04:00

PTSD occurs about 4 times more in the military, than in the population as a whole. Combat, or just being in a combat zone, provides too many opportunities to experience emotional or physical trauma. Current veterans who have had multiple deployments are more susceptible to severe PTSD episodes, especially if they were in direct combat. Many have survior guilt, something that afflicted me for a long time. I just could not figure out how I survived the same experience that killed or severly wounded buddies. Humans can only take so much psychological trauma before it takes its toll. For some, it can be only one event, while others, it may take several events, but all are affected in some way.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 16 at 2014 7:23 PM

2014-09-16T19:23:10-04:00

This was posted 6 days ago, and after lurking here for a few weeks and seeing how this forum worked I was hopeful that I could post an anonymous comment for my fellow leaders to respond to, but I can't create my own thread, so I'll piggy back off of this one.

I am a SSG in the US Army. I will hit 8 years this Friday, SEP 19th. I will have been a SSG for just shy of 2 years of that point. That's E6 in just over 6, but won't make 7 in 7. I am the recipient of two purple hearts as an E4 in the same tour. To be honest I was put in for a 3rd, but I was advised by my CSM that I should fight against a 3rd submission in the same tour because it could possibly eliminate me from the Army as a re-enlistment candidate for various reasons, and despite what others say, it was a good call.

After receiving my 2nd PH and my ARCOM (downgraded from ARCOM V, thanks COL), I was put into a "mandatory TBI study" for AD personnel for 1 year. This was before they had the whole TBI scanners in the helmets thing that I noticed on my latest deployment. These people called relentlessly until I answered about a 30 minute barrage of questions every 3 months for a year. They even followed me from duty station to duty station even when I reclassed.

I went from 11 series to 25 series (SIGNAL, not "commo"), and have had an insane time trying to re-align myself as part of the team. I work with individuals which in my opinion, have no heart. I took shrapnel to the face and neck, was knocked unconscious, recovered the hamburger that used to be a majority of my platoon, and still managed to walk the 3 miles back and lead a convoy back to KAF for the ceremony to load them up on a plane. Yet I am here now with a bunch of POGS (sorry for the term, but it's how I feel), who have never deployed, have been to some awesome duty stations for the past 15 years (hawaii, germany, maryland, back to germany etc,) and for some reason can't run. Working with females is also another HUGE change for me, which I won't go into for sake of the intent of this post. It is insanely disappointing. I joined to be a man, because I wasn't before this. I was doing some terribly stupid $H!@ as a late teen, and joined to save myself. I was taught by my NCOs that what I do in combat will define me. And what I did is mine, and mine alone. Yet here I am now with these people that almost disgust me to be associated with as "Soldiers".

The point of this post is to ask you, fellow leaders, how I can overcome or adapt to this new environment I work in. It is NOT a sob story or anything to try and gain any type of favoritism, I just literally am at my whits end when it comes to this new job.

I'm an E6 with 8 years in service, been an E6 for 2 of those 8. My average peer is at 15-18 years in service, and have pretty much set their minds on retirement and don't GAF (you figure it out). I have no friends at this newest duty station, and don't plan on having any based on what I've seen. I'm used to having at least ONE battle buddy I can call and vent to. I have none here. I work with people who on average have not deployed, at least half. They are all on no running profiles. I have 50% vision in my right eye and shrapnel still in my right shoulder. I can still run a 15 minute 2 mile or less. Not great, but it's what is in my heart that keeps me going at my full speed. I want to headbutt people who say they are "hurt" and have never deployed.

Obviously I have anger issues. I just have no idea who to talk to about it here, especially with no battle buddies. Nobody here is my peer. I don't want to take any type of "PTSD" counseling sessions because I'm in TRADOC. I can't even go to sick call without being around a bunch of <6 months in the Army privates, who apparently have PTSD from their Drill Sergeants who, trust me (I've been through the training), are NOTHING compared to what you and I went through. It's a softer Army now. I want to rage at everything that is going on here, but in addition to "leaders" that are guaranteed their retirements at this point, and soldiers who are "entitled" to everything coming in, as well as civilians that pretty much run this place, I might as well be nobody. I am not the triple war vet, double purple hearted 'grunt' who I want to be, used to be, am. I am just a poser in this new "generation" of army who is seriously floundering and drowning. I have no idea what to do.

I need some help, I really do. I want it, I just have nowhere to turn. 5 minutes with any of these civilian "experts" on anything will let you know they are full of crap and don't actually wan't to be doing what they are doing...

If anyone has any advice on ANYTHING I am griping about I would be very appreciative of it...I am losing my mind after only 8 years, and would really like to fulfill my 20...

Thank you in advance...

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 17 at 2014 6:09 AM

2014-09-17T06:09:24-04:00

Combat Traumatic Stress is a permanent physical (physiological) combat injury or wound NOT a invisible "disorder." The 10-25% assessment rate is crap. People pushing disorderly facts are not fully connected with the struggle and possibly have fallen into becoming a tool of some bureaucratic system. We need to educate people to get past warrior stigma, that seeking treatment is what the strong do and to finally seriously address the suicide rate which is far higher than 23/day. We need your dedication to reality and action, to unite as warfighters. It is time for the Warfighters' Rights Movement ~ Get educated & join us!

Big Dogs --- To The Front on Vimeo

LEARN WHY WARFIGHTERS ARE BEING KILLED, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE AND HOW TO STOP IT. If you truly care who is responsible for killing veteran Warfighters; this is a video…

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Sep 17 at 2014 9:47 AM

2014-09-17T09:47:50-04:00

Who else thinks the RallyPoint team does an awesome job at making these infographics for us? Hat tip Nick Petros, Meaghan Corson :)

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Sep 17 at 2014 11:59 AM

2014-09-17T11:59:37-04:00

PTSD isn't a sign of weakness mentally or physically. There are many excellent theories but the answer still alludes the professionals who have studied it for generations. It isn't natural to go to war. Every whistle and bell God programmed us with goes off inside as our biological defense mechanism to help keep us alive, just like it was designed to do. All that increased external stimulus and heightened "fight or flight" programming sometimes gets stuck in a loop in our heads. It kept us alive in combat, so maybe it is good? I think the body/mind connection gets a little confused. The thing that doesn't help are the constant deployments. If you make it back to a peaceful surrounding and have no issues that is FANTASTIC. The odds of not developing PTSD decrease with every subsequent deployment. Our mind gets confused. It was safe, then it was war! Then it was safe for a while.....then war! Some people are just left with their mind and body geared towards war. The severity of PTSD has a strong correlation with our ability to turn off these "switches" in peacetime. The question should not be "Why is PTSD so common." The question in my mind is "Why aren't more people affected with PTSD?"

Response by SSG Jacob Wiley made Sep 17 at 2014 3:21 PM

2014-09-17T15:21:49-04:00

First, I believe that everyone handles things differently. You may shoot someone and have night mares, whereas the guy to your right was in the same TIC, neutralized a threat and didn't think twice about it.

In my free time I am a city firefighter where I live. Horrible car wrecks, people hurt, children suffering - doesn't phase me. We had a guy resign due to nightmares. Like I said, it's different for everyone.

The big however in that is this:

Having PTSD "pays", if you will.

Someone separating service with this diagnosis will receive some sort of financial stipend monthly for it being a 'disability'. I feel like it is abused and taken advantage of in a plethora of cases. If the financial aspect of the diagnosis was to go away and was replaced by fully funded treatment and therapy, I'm willing to bet there would be fewer cases than there are now.

Response by SPC David Shaffer made Sep 17 at 2014 9:59 PM

2014-09-17T21:59:56-04:00

I truly don't believe PTSD is more common. I think there are many more cases of it that went unreported or were reported as something different since we are really just starting to talk about it and recognize it as a real mental illness. I remember growing up my Grandfather used to talk about it and say that they were just weak men who like to whine and can't handle the real world. I can't say I even knew about PTSD until I was diagnosed with it after my TBI and coma. I keep rambling on but honestly to get to the point, I don't think there were ever less people that suffered from it and it has always been this bad. It was just a different time and people didn't want to talk about it and/or didn't know about it. It wasn't researched the way it is now.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Sep 18 at 2014 7:13 AM

2014-09-18T07:13:27-04:00

This thread also makes me think about the untold tens of thousands of veterans from Vietnam who did not get the help they needed for PTSD. I wonder what data there is on this -- specifically, how many Vietnam vets were estimated to have had trouble with PTSD. Anyone have insights?

Response by PO3 Aaron Hassay made Dec 27 at 2014 12:04 AM

2014-12-27T00:04:12-05:00

PHYSICAL ASSAULT...Nicely named FAN ROOM COUNSELING(NAVY) or WALL to WALL COUNSELING(ARMY MARINES) SENIOR TO JUNIOR is another sure way to develop this syndrome. I think it happens more then people would really expect of keep track of. A sign of "weakness"? NO NEVER! its just pure reality to start breaking a young MANs trust in TEAM and HONOR, when a senior(who is not your dad and should DADs ever ASSAULT their sons or daughters for not living up to the DADS MARK??) uses his "RANK" "SENIORITY" "STRIPE" on his her "ARM" in the middle of the ocean "to get his point across" to a kid "SPIT FIST THREATS" of LIFE ALTERING Thoughts "GIVEN" DELIVERED ON MARK to a KIDS internal PSYCHE---but never returned-obviously from the SAME KIDS unless the KID wanted to end up in the BRIG for defending himself..NOT AGAIN THE ENEMY..but just a FUKd UP MAN in the SAME Uniform..who found a WEAKER man to BEAT UP for nothing really life changing..no real reason at all...save a fuking uniform infraction...frazzled after days of Hazardous Strenous Duties at SEA..dazed and depressed a bit already and numb...even before that ASS HOLe decided to pLay GOD in his HEAD.

SO what happens to a young man who was used to be on teams in HIGH SCHOOL and was on VARSITY and looked up to by younger kids and actually succeeded? was he provoked to succeed and give it his all because the HIGH SCHOOL COACH beat him up??? haha.yah really...no NEVER....

He actually won THE MERITORIOUS BOOTCAMP BEST RECRUIT AWARD TOP 5 Percentile! And He did not even know that was an award he could get until it was given to him at graduation.

SAME SAID KID BECOMES a despondent mess street fighting for fun or pure anxiety at anyone that seemed to look at him wrongly out of uniform starting during that time of being ASSAULTED and not being able to leave SAID UNIT.

ANd that kind of anger was actually encouraged I suppose. But I would say this it leaves a broken man unable to FIT IN anymore and TRUST TEAM. It leaves a man who is or was COERCED and threatened to PERFORM like an indentured servant or SLAVE now scared of what will happen.

I can tell you this. THat same supposed MAN e9 that thought he was some BADD ASS should get a WHIFF of my FIST in his FACe etc...as a grown MAN myself in an ALLEY alone NO UNIFORM oN..just me able to defend myself like any human should be able to do anywhere.

I think we should all develop some sense of humbleness in uniform for those we are superior of. We live or are developing out of a world of BARBARIANS who get what they get because fo BRUTE force. But do you rule your lady your love with brute force? no, the more you talk to her the better things get.

Let me reiterate. I am a man. A man who survived his TEAM( not the ENEMY I was taught to be the ENEMY on TV) A MAN who survived someone he was supposed to TRUST from assaulting him and not talking about it ever scared and frightened until this last year.

And in the 16 years in between homelessness joblessness confused disoriented and disjointed. But now I put the pieces together.

If we can create ARMYs and AIR FORCES and NAVYs to go and kill other humans around the world at any given notice and not feel any feelings then me BEING REAL about attacking your OWN BROTHERS AND SISTERS for no PARTICULAR reason should have not much RICHTER SCALE MEASUREMENTS on our COLD spirits of delusion.

LETS TRY TO BE CIVIL here. Don't ACT LIKE THE ENEMY to your OWN TEAM and FAMILY. TREAT YOUR OWN TEAM AND FAMILY like you would like to be treated. Unless you hate yourself somewhere and are angry inside. And in that case seek help and talk about it. BUt don't beat someone up about it that is just serving as a punching bag for your sickness. GOD REALLY PUT us in a bind if this is what is really going on. I HOPE TO RISE ABOVE THIS IGNORANCE.

I will say this for full measure. I have won more fights now then I ever considered I would ever get in. I trained at it from a street fighter to a trained fighter striking and submission. ANd I would not use it only in self defense. I can not see getting off using it as a threat to someone who is not trained and could not defend themselves.

It is that sense of security that we need to develop. DO NOT PICK ON PEOPLE especially your OWN DAMN TEAM.

Response by Sherry El Dora Trinity made Jul 15 at 2016 11:27 AM

2016-07-15T11:27:15-04:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs has a great online program that helps PTSD vets find community and cope. He is a great person to connect with on this topic

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Jul 17 at 2016 12:25 PM

2016-07-17T12:25:10-04:00

RallyPoint Team Great post and information. You can get help from a number of different sources outside the VA and ones that can be anonymous as well.

We've got a program that we started up called Sponsor a Vet Life (SAVL) and that is exactly what we provide (peer-to-peer) support via an online methodology in the Virtual World that helps members with PTSD, TBI, MST, and that are severely disabled reintegrate back into social settings and group functions. I'd like for you to check it out one of these days on a Monday evening. Here are the directions to attend a webinar and collaborate:

If you are interested and would like to attend a Webinar first, we are conducting them on Thursday nights at 7:00 PM EST. Please go to this link:

http://www.sponsoravet.life/#!veteran-webinars/ybtiq

Here is a link to our RP Group Page. Please follow the page:

https://www.rallypoint.com/organizations/sponsor-a-vet-life-virtual-world-solutions-d-b-a-sponsor-a-vet-life-wharton-nj

I look forward to communicating with you in the future. I hope you can attend a webinar and thanks for your support of the veterans, service members, and retirees on RallyPoint.

savl

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 19 at 2019 12:39 PM

2019-10-19T12:39:55-04:00

First I want to say more than half of veterans suicides are those who have no connections to the VA. I really like group therapy to discuss the commonality of symptoms, accelerating therapy through individual stories, and also delves into what triggered PTSD.