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PTSD: The Role Of Transgender In Soldiers

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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. …show more content…
Well, when treating PTSD, one also has to treat alcoholism, issues with suicide, depression, and anxiety that come along with it. If these aren’t cured, then that could lead to disaster like what happened twice at Fort Hood, Texas. “The rampage started around 4 p.m. Wednesday, when Lopez fired his .45-caliber handgun at two buildings at the sprawling Texas military facility” (Shoichet, Watkins, Rubin 1). This gunman was 34-year-old Army Specialist Ivan Lopez. He killed three fellow soldiers and later himself, everyone was left asking why this had happened again to the same base. After reviewing Lopez’s records and info, it was found that he was mentally ill. “We have very strong evidence that he had a medical history that indicates an unstable psychiatric or psychological condition” (qtd. from “Fort Hood Shooting”). Lopez served in Iraq which is where those conditions would have likely come from. Lopez was never treated for his conditions and was never reported injured while in Iraq. Since he was never treated for those injuries, he was like a ticking time bomb. If Lopez was receiving treatment then this situation could’ve possibly been avoided. “The main treatments for people with PTSD are psychotherapy (“talk” therapy), medications, or both” (“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” 4). These medications will mainly be antidepressants such as Zoloft or Paxil. The reason for the use of antidepressants would be because they can help control some of the symptoms such as anger, sadness, and anxiety. Not everyone will have the same experience with their PTSD treatment; others will go through psychotherapy which can also be effective based on the situation. The treatment will be different for each soldier, but what matters most is that all of these veterans didn’t know how to cope with what had caused this disorder. This not only affected them mentally but also impacted their

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