...the numbers are as follows: • Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF): About 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans (or between 11-20%) who served in OIF or OEF have PTSD in a given year. Gulf War (Desert Storm): About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year. • Vietnam War: About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam Veterans (or 15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD at the time of the most recent study in the late 1980s, the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS). It is estimated that about 30 out of every 100 (or 30%) of Vietnam Veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime. (How Common is PTSD? (n.d.) Many have tried to come up with an effective treatment to help our service members suffering through PTSD. Although there are many types of treatment therapy and medication, this article will focus on using forms of meditation like Transcendental Meditation (TM) or yoga to help veterans suffering through PTSD. Veterans with PTSD There are many forms of treatment, the most common being a combination of therapy and medication. However as in all treatments in psychology, not all people respond well and others don’t find it effective. This causes many veterans to stop seeking treatment altogether. Some don’t even choose to report that they suffer from PTSD. PTSD which affects about one in five veterans, is typically triggered by the experience of a terrifying or life-threatening event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares...
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...When watching the informative documentary Free The Mind, at least for me, a question strikes me. When veterans come back from a war, do they always come back the same? In some cases they do. Unfortunately, there are war veterans who come back emotionally scarred and dismantled. When this happens, they tend to conjure up anger and hatred, along with suicidal tendencies and more avid drug use. Doctor Richard Davidson wanted to change that. Veterans who come back from war with emotional disturbances find better help through meditation techniques, as opposed to the continual use of drugs and medication to improve their sleep patterns and emotional control. That was what Richard Davidson, neurologist and professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin, wanted to think. What Free The Mind showed was a study that lasted 7 days, and to go along with that...
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... This paper is an overview of homeless veterans in the United States. I will discuss how this issue fits into the field of sociology while determining which sociological theories from our text apply. Next, I will explain what is known and unknown about America’s homeless veterans. Then, I will discuss the value of sociological research into this issue. Finally, I will determine if there are practical implications of sociological inquiry. There is a serious homeless problem that plagues many Americans, including those Americans that fought for our country. Although we tend to hold servicemen in high regard, many people are very insensitive to those veterans that become homeless. Most people believe that homelessness is due to controllable factors such as laziness or refusal to work. Nothing can be further from the truth. Veterans not only make up a disproportionate percentage of the homeless population, but also stay homeless for longer. In fact, veterans are at a greater risk of becoming homeless due to a number of factors including unique military skills not needed in the civilian sector, combat-related health issues, minimal income due to unemployment, and a shortage of safe, affordable housing. Prior to becoming homeless, many veterans at risk of homelessness have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder or have acquired addictions during their military service. “At least 45 percent of homeless veterans suffer from mental illness, while over 50 percent...
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...Not being able to sleep at night, veterans lie awake in fear they will dream about what took place on their battlefield. Just think about someone incapable of shutting his or her eyes because they would have to relive the memories from war that they were trying so hard to forget. Veterans also encounter fears during the day as well, such as believing people are behind them or following them. The cause of all of these panic attacks and increase in anxiety is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety problem that arises in someone who has experienced a traumatic event, such as an automobile accident, natural disaster, or in this case a war. The question of concern was which treatments benefit the veterans...
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...Veterans Relating to Odysseus Have you ever realized the similarity of Odysseus to a veteran? Well the Odyssey in how Homer describes it, is just a soldier’s extensive journey returning home from a war that lasted continues ten plus years. Just like a veteran, Odysseus experience back home does not always go according to his plans, Odysseus finds himself stranded in a place that he once called home. Returning to somewhere which you lived all your life, after not witnessing it for ten years can seem like you have never seen it before. Veterans have similar mindsets, their small town, their home, and even their families sometimes become unfamiliar after so many years away from everything. The minds of the veterans returning home were similar to Odysseus; kill everything in my path, protect what’s mine, and solve every problem with violence, therefore Odysseus did not discard the violence and brutality experienced during the war...
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...military veterans and their families attend college. (NCSL 1) In 2008, the updated federal veterans’ education law was passed, which paid for in-state tuition and fees to the college or university that the veteran or their family attends. The law also provides the student with a monthly stipend to help pay school supplies and housing. This federal law gives the opportunity to go college and continue their education. In addition, NCSL.org also states that between 2000 and 2012, more than 900,000 veterans and military service members received education benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.(NCSL 1) It was between 2009 and to 2010 where there was large...
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...Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Vietnam War Veterans COMM/156 4/14/2013 Professor Marsha Parker PTSD is an anxiety disorder classified as a mental illness caused by exposure to terrifying or life threatening events. During the time of war, people get exposed to devastating experiences such as sexual abuse, witnessing murder of family members or familiar people, and other horrors of war. As a result, the victims suffer from mental disorders since the horrible experiences are forever ingrained in their mind. Bearing in mind that bad memories are rarely erased, the experiences can be compared to a horror movie that is often played in the mind and constantly frightens the victim to death. On one hand the victim celebrates survival but on the other hand the experiences haunt one through night mares or flashbacks. The victim remains constantly on edge and is easily startled. Some common feelings include intense guilt and some time numbness- all signs of posttraumatic stress disorder (TMP, 2012). A research finding by Bruce Dohrenwend and colleagues from New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia’s Letter Carrier School of Public Health, shows that traumatic experiences during war predicted the onset of PTSD in Vietnam veterans (Mikulak, 2013). We will examine the PTSD in Vietnam War veterans. Human existence has been always exposed to traumatic incidences of various kinds. For instance, attacks by lions or even the twentieth century terrorist attacks to...
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...Bringing awareness to the social inequality of discrimination against veterans is imperative in modern America to lend a hand, so people, that are coming home from the battlefield, thrive and have a successful life. In the American society, teenagers are impacted by their living conditions, authors have an influence on the reader's mind through their writing, and various genres of literature can be used as a helpful tool in changing society’s views of acceptance. First and foremost, in the beginning of last year, there were about 220,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans that did not have a job. With this alarming rate, more and more veterans become jobless as the days go on. Looking for a job is becoming a backbreaker for many ex-military officers...
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...million military veterans and their families attend college.” (NCSL 1) In 2008, the updated federal veterans’ education law was passed which helps pay for tuition and provided help living expenses for veterans and their families. This federal law gives veterans the opportunity to go college and get an education without having to worry about how to pay for it. In addition, NCSL.org also states, “that between 2000 and 2012, more than 900,000 veterans and military service members received education benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.” (NCSL 1) This means that veterans are getting benefits and are taking advantage of it. Most veterans are not like the traditional students because they do not attend college after high school, are not dependent, they are older than most students, and sometime have families. NCSL.gov also states that “roughly 85 percent of veterans and active duty service members enrolled in undergraduate programs are 24 years of age or older and women are only a small percentage of the military personnel but they make up about 27 percent of veterans that enroll into post-secondary education.” (NCSL 1) That statement shows that veterans old or young are striving to get their degrees. This also shows that women are in the military are...
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...Unit 6 Project Veterans Having Trouble Finding Jobs After the Military Mark Everhart Kaplan University Professor Sandra Fontana Veterans who have served this country by going to war are quickly realizing that America is not appreciating the sacrifices made for our service members. Veterans are being passed over for employment for many different reasons. Some of these reasons include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), lack of job skills for performing civilian jobs, and the inability to cope with the transition from military to civilian life. The unemployment rate for veterans is 6.9 percent (Norman, 2012). The government and the employers need to work together to make the transition out of the military a smoother process. The Department of Veteran Affairs cannot process the applications for the G.I. Bill fast enough to accommodate the veterans. Veterans lack the job skills necessary to perform jobs in the civilian sector after the military. All military veterans should have special training, skill and mind set for the transition from military to civilian life, provided by the government and employers to ensure employability after serving their country regardless of how many years of service one has served. Veterans lack the special training and skills that are necessary to compete with the civilian population. Veterans often have jobs that cannot transfer to the civilian world (Hefling, 2011). For instance if they are an infantryman, they cannot get a job as a mechanic....
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...Introduction Being in the military is one of the most respected occupations in our entire country. Shouldn’t soldiers have the proper equipment to ensure that they don’t get injured, the proper training in boot camp so they know how to cope with war, and more pay for risking their lives every day? Our troops fight every day for our freedom even with the possibility of death in the back of their minds. U.S. soldiers encounter many physical and mental problems throughout war including traumatic experiences, injury, or even death. Even when they come home, they still encounter social issues with unemployment, homelessness, and debt. What most of these problems relate back to is inadequate training that recruits go through before becoming soldiers....
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... there were ticker-tape parades and family and friends threw parties in celebration of their military member’s safe arrival home. Unfortunately, being home came with its own set of problems, as an increasing number veterans face a battle in their own minds. That battle is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and it has been affecting veterans for decades, as an anxiety disorder brought about by the exposure to a traumatic event that causes a “pathological memory”, which then emerges with symptoms of “generalized feelings of fear and apprehension” (Butcher, 2010, p. 158). The number of veterans diagnosed with PTSD and being treated through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has tripled since 2001; emphasizing the vital need for established therapies (Eftekhari, Ruzek, Crowley, Rosen, Greenbaum, & Karlin, 2013). According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), as of September 1, 2013, 625,953 veterans are being compensated for PTSD. The rise in the number of veterans presenting with PTSD is thought to be in direct correlation to longer deployments, decreased time between deployments and the increasing number of deployments (Cook, Dinnen, O'Donnell, Bernardy, Rosenheck, & Hoff, 2013). In order to be compensated for the disorder, veterans must meet the requirements set forth in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the PTSD Checklist-Military (PCL-M) (VA (3), 2013). The PCL-M currently uses DSM-IV criteria and is being updated...
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...respected, will they think they have a voice. When this happens, it can only mean positive attitude all the way around. Proverbs 11:14 "For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisors" (NIV 2001). Example # 1: Social Work, since man was created in the image of God, as a counselor I should be able to help people to understand that sin has changes their minds to mirror the nature of this world and allow the worldviews to effectively control their daily lives and steal the spiritual inheritance that Christ died for. As a Christian Counselor in a worldly environment, we must be ever mindful that it will take a renewing of the mind, which will allow the worldly views to change to Christian views. Throughout the bible God has continued to show man that God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher that our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8; NIV 2001). I understand that when God breathed the breath of life into man and man became a living being, part of God was placed into man and when we renew our minds, this allows our Williams 2 spirit and the Spirit of God to become one. We understand that we can't do anything on our own, not allowing the wisdom and knowledge from the world to rise...
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...English 214.05 Baldwin April 12th, 2013 Emotional Consequences Faced By Veterans and Their Families Many books, articles, or even essays that are read throughout one’s life, can at times be slightly unclear about what precisely the main idea is or what the authors true purpose is for writing that text. Most people do not understand that every writer uses rhetorical strategies throughout their writing to make their text clear and understandable for the reader. These rhetorical strategies are particularly important because they help with the clarity of complex ideas and assist the writer in getting their point across. In doing so, writers are able to make their text more effective for a wider range of people to read. In the article “Iraq, Afghanistan War Veterans Struggle With Combat Trauma,” by David Wood, and in the short story, “Gold Star,” by Siobhan Fallon, the authors use numerous amounts of rhetorical tools to help guide the reader through the text. While “Gold Star” is a short story about a wife who has lost her husband due to the war and “Iraq, Afghanistan War Veterans Struggle With Combat Trauma,” is an informative newspaper article about how the war can have severe consequences on not only the soldiers themselves but their loved ones back at home too, both text use emotive appeals that aim to inform the general public of the various emotional and psychological tolls faced by veterans and their families today. Furthermore, throughout both texts the authors delivered...
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...Have you ever wanted to be a hero, returning from a war you helped win? Have you ever wished to come home, to the sound of clapping and the look of admiration on everyone’s faces? Sure, war veterans are appreciative of all of this recognition, but being a veteran is more than that. Being a veteran isn’t about going to a war, to come back for the fame and glory. They experience many feelings of depression and yearning. They wish that they never joined the cause, and forget everything else. A hero that shared many of these same veteran feelings is Odysseus, a war veteran in the epic poem, The Odyssey, who is attempting to come home from a long war that ended because of him. Like all veterans, he struggled to accept his actions during the war,...
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