...Ty Meeks Psych 32 April 15, 2012 Research on Combat Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder The first reported case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder dates back nearly 3000 years. In 1000BC an Egyptian combat veteran named Hori wrote, “You determine to go forward. Shuddering seizes you, the hair on your head stands on end, your soul lies in your hand” (Dyer). Since the beginning of wars men have been terrified of dyeing, and subjected to horrific scenes of devastation. This constant mental and physical stress can lead to numerous lasting complications in combat veterans. In 1678 Swiss military physicians finally identified the unusual behaviors among their combat veterans and gave it the medical name “Nostalgia” (Bentley). Since that time many militaries around the world have been studying the effects of war on their troops. It was not till the Civil war that the US first took an active approach to handling those afflicted with the disorder. In his article Bentley wrote, “During the Civil War the psychological symptoms from war became so common, field commanders as well as medical doctors pleaded with the War Department to provide some type of screening to eliminate recruit susceptible to psychiatric breakdown.” The first military hospitals were finally opened in 1863 to deal with the large numbers of mental breaks caused by the war. The US finally gave this condition a name after WWI. They believed that the impact of the shells being...
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...the past as "combat fatigue," "shell shock," or "war neurosis." Combat veterans often return from deployment having experienced a wide range of exposures, symptoms and medical conditions. The Department of Veterans Affairs established war related illness and injury study centers to serve combat veterans with unexplained illnesses. History Although many coexisting disorders have been reported with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), little reference has been made to the presence of psychotic symptoms. Post-traumatic stress disorder is commonly described among victims of severe trauma outside of normal human experience, in this case the combat veterans returning from deployment. Traumatic events can lead to reevaluation of life and its meaning; a reconsideration of what is truly important which often changes one’s set of priorities. Trauma often causes abrupt cessation of continuity in coherence in sense of one’s self (Barlow, 2002). In the early 1800’s military doctors began diagnosing soldiers with "exhaustion" following the stress of battle. This "exhaustion" was characterized by mental shutdown due to individual or group trauma. Like today, soldiers during the 1800’s were not supposed to be afraid or show any fear in the heat of battle. The only treatment for this "exhaustion" was to bring the afflicted soldiers to the rear for a while then send them back into battle. Through extreme and often repeated stress, the soldiers became fatigued as a part of their...
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...Ptsd Research In: English and Literature Ptsd Research Lack of Support for Soldiers with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Soldiers in the war are subjected to many violent and traumatic events which can affect a person internally and emotionally without being noticed for a period of time. This is called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is a common disorder found in soldiers in the United States military who have been to war. PTSD can cause many health and social issues. In order to help soldiers cope with PTSD and lead normal lives the government should focus more the counseling programs available for soldiers once they return from war. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is “the psychiatric diagnosis now given to a set of reactive symptoms that results from experiencing a traumatic event or a series of such events” (Nidiffer and Leach 1). During The Revolutionary War the soldiers began showing signs of emotional stress and started to refuse to fight. By doing so the soldiers have been viewed as cowards and were treated as though they were deserters of the military. Most of these soldiers were discharged due psychiatric problems, so rather than getting them help they just sent the soldiers back to civilian life. However, “by the end of the war Benjamin Rush, a physician of the period, became among the first to suggest that rehabilitation in some form would be better than mere punishment…Rush’s efforts to understand mental disorders and to promote humane...
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...the American Civil War and abolished slavery, and the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis. Abraham Lincoln was the President of the Union, and Jefferson Davis struggled to lead the Confederacy to independence in the U.S. Civil War. Lincoln was treasured by the African Americans and was considered an earthly incarnation of the Savior of mankind (DeGregorio 20-25). On the other hand, Davis was both admired and hated. Lincoln had a different view of how the U.S. should be in abolishing slavery. Davis was a politician, president of the Confederate States of America, and also a successful planter. He had beliefs for the South to continue in the old ways with slavery and plantations. Both Lincoln and Davis had strong feelings for the protection of their land (Arnold 55-57). Both Abraham and Jefferson Davis shared several differences and similarities. Lincoln was known to have an easy going and joking type attitude. In contrast, Davis had a temper such that when challenged, he simply could not back down (DeGregorio 89). Davis had been a fire-eater before Abraham Lincoln's election, but the prospect of Civil War made him gloomy and depressed. Fifty- three years old in 1861, he suffered from a variety of ailments such as fever, neuralgia, and inflamed eye, poor digestion, insomnia, and stress. Lincoln also suffered from illnesses during the war. He had severe cases of headaches and stress. Both presidents...
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...world(Brinkley, 2012). Spreading this liberty caused stress as some realized it would reopen the question of slavery in new territories. Since the North and the South could not comprise on slav-ery for all territories it lead to the Civil War. When it come to territories that were not yet considered the states the federal government was responsible for the decision if slaves were allowed, once a state it would be the state gov-ernment (Brinkley, 2012). As the issue of slavery in new territories came it is caused a lot of ten-sion throughout sections in the United...
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...Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder of World War I The soldiers that fought during World War I faced many difficulties during the war. These difficulties included day to day combat, little or no food for days at a time, health issues that arose from the poor conditions, and having to deal with the mental strain of the war. Your average person either knows or has heard of these difficulties, but the average person probably doesn’t know about the problems these soldiers face upon their return home. The main problem for returning soldiers is what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. According to the American Psychiatric Association, post-traumatic stress disorder refers to an anxiety disorder that some people get after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. To give further detail of the disorder the APA also classifies an anxiety disorder as a mental illness in which the sufferer feels an exceptional level of fear and apprehension. The APA also states that any event that causes a person to experience intense fear, horror, or helplessness can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. In order to be officially diagnosed a person must meet the criteria of having the required number of reexperiencing, hyperarousal, and avoidance/numbing symptoms. To be officially diagnosed the person must experience one of the five reexperiencing symptoms, two of the five hyperarousal symptoms, and three of the seven avoidance/numbing symptoms. The five reexperiencing symptoms...
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...In William Faulkner’s book, Barn Burning, Abner Snopes is a cold and violent Civil War veteran. Faulkner writes him to be harsh and emotionless. Abner is also describes as a man with shaggy gray eyebrows, and pebble-colored hair; furthermore, he walks with a limp that he obtains while stealing a horse during the war. Abner Snopes would not be considered a family man, because he is stiff and emotionless when it comes to his family. His family often receives the blunt force of his anger and frustration, especially Sarty. There are many explanations that could be used to explain Abner’s cruel behavior such as; Post-traumatic stress from the war that he served in, jealousy of those who has more than him, and his attitude towards others could be a reflection...
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...During the Civil War, many military positions existed, and each person who held them had their own take on the war itself. The generals of the Civil War were constantly stressed and harrowed, for they controlled the direction of the war, and their actions, views, and opinions influenced not only the soldiers around them in battle, but the superintendence of this country. Their tactics and strategies set up the next battle ahead of them and decided if their side, The North or The South, was winning the Civil War. It was their perspectives that influenced the majority of American citizens. Without generals, the Civil War could not have been fought. For generals, the war was especially stressful. It was their responsibility to ensure that their regiment of soldiers knew what they were supposed to do. There was a great deal of responsibility for generals. At times, generals were responsible for the lives of hundreds or even thousands of men. In a way, they were also responsible for the lives of every person in America. They didn’t know when the war was going to end. With communication being extremely delayed, the war could have ended at any minute, and they would not have known. It could take days, weeks, or even months for information to reach them,...
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...When a war occurs, it takes years for the society or societies involved to return to a more normal, calm state. In the case of the American Civil War, many aspects of the country were disrupted after the war ended in 1865. Relations were strained, land had been destroyed, families torn apart, and much more. The economy struggled, and many Southerners did not want to accept a loss. The death count for the American Civil War was also an amazing number, and made a large dent into families, businesses, and towns across the nation. The Civil War was considered one of history’s most famous wars. But after a War, a country is always left wounded. In desperate need to bring the country back together, the government tried to pass the Reconstruction Act in order to reunite America after the war. There were some problems in the reconstruction of America after the Civil War; some of those problems were economic devastation of the South, the education and support of freedmen, and how to deal with the newly freed slaves. After the Civil War, America was left with many problems and unanswered questions which had to be taken care of in order for America to succeed and become the world power that it is today. When examining the physical damage to the land after the end of the war, it was obvious that much of the country had been brutally trampled and scarred by the battles and rampages of the war. As troops had moved across areas, they had burnt many fields and homes in proof of their defiance...
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...Amputations during The Civil War Hist. 1301 6/27/2015 If anything is remembered about the American Civil War, it is the gruesome way wounded soldiers were medically treated when a foot or a leg was hit by a bullet. The most common solution to save back then their lives, was Amputation. This technique of removing any limb did not start with the Civil War, but it had been performed since the beginning of ancient times. Primitive amputations were more inclined towards the removal of dead tissue resulted from wars, and congenital anomalies. The techniques used during The Civil War to perform amputations were not successful at times, but cutting a limb was considered the most effective resource. Bones were mostly shattered by bullet strikes, so the removal was highly necessary. With the enormous artillery and amount of powder-related guns that both sides owned, amputations became more common during war. As the earliest stages of The Civil War developed, surgeons started to receive in their improvised hospitals numerous soldiers with very dramatic wounds, which also helped them develop more advanced techniques like the enabling an adequate control of hemorrhage. When civil war broke out in the United States, amputations were the most common surgery among soldiers. The wounds caused by gun-powder bullets, and the limitations of medicine about sterilization played an important role in the success of amputations in the Civil War. From 1861 to 1865; years of The Civil War, more than...
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...Borunda Mrs. Martinez World History November 20, 2014 The American Civil War Many people know about the Civil War, but not every one knows the details. The Civil War was a key point in U.S. History that brought all the states together and made them into one single indivisible country. Before the civil war started there was the election of 1860. Abraham Lincoln has just been elected into office and many political officials didn’t like that. The Battle Field Lincoln pledges to abolish slavery in all the states, his views were very different from those in congress, and Lincoln wanted a strong nation, one without slavery. This would be fine if slavery wasn’t popular in most states, but sadly it was. There was conflict and disagreement, but most of this conflict came from the south. In the south slavery was a very popular and common practice. Thirteen states from the south seceded from the United States. These states called themselves The Confederate States Of America. According to www.civilwar.org the first battle of the civil war took place at Fort Sumter. On April 12, 1861, Major Robert Anderson was under fire by General P.G.T Beauregard, who was in command of the Confederate forces around Charleston harbor. Major Robert Anderson surrendered on April 13 and evacuated the next day. This The battlefield is a very known subject in all wars but this was one of the harshest wars in American history. This war like any other was fought and won with armies of soldiers. Each side had...
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...their families are unable to provide basic necessities, and justify the worthiness of their requests. The poignant letters provide some insight into hard-working families during this period who either have no employment, work part-time, or work at low-paying jobs. Children and youth plead with Mrs. Roosevelt for clothing; for money to ward off evictions, pay debts, and purchase simple household conveniences; for funds for educational expenses, Christmas gifts for family members, marriage and new household expenses, bicycles to help their families, and for radios to ameliorate loneliness. The letters attest to the courage, tenacity, and intelligence of youth who had few resources, but hoped for better lives during this era. The editor also clarifies Mrs. Roosevelt and her staff’s responses to the letters. Only 1 percent of youths received the material assistance they requested. About 5 percent were told by Mrs. Roosevelt’s staff to seek help from New Deal agencies, 3 percent were directed toward charities, and 3 percent were encouraged to contact educational institutions. Eighty-eight percent of the letter writers were rejected by Mrs. Roosevelt’s office. Readers are left to wonder about the children and youth who never had their requests filled. Collier, P. (1999) ‘On the Economic Consequences of Civil War’ in Oxford Economic Papers vol. 51 no. 1, 1999. Oxford and Washington DC: Oxford University...
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...The American Civil War was one of the bloodiest wars in American History, it marked one of the most permanent changes in US history. The war began on April 12, 1861 and ended on April 18, 1865, lasting a little over four years. It was fought between the Northern states, Union states, and the Southern states, Confederate states. It all started because of some differences between the states, such as; the idea of slavery, state rights, tariffs, and trade. The war began when Confederate forces bombarded Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay, South Carolina, which was being controlled by the Union. There were approximately six thousand battles and engagements fought during the war. The bloodiest battle during the Civil War was Gettysburg, with 51,000 casualties. There were not even half as many casualties in Shiloh, which had almost twenty-four thousand casualties. Vicksburg had the least amount of casualties, with almost twenty thousand casualties. Southern states started to secede from the Union even before the war. There were a total of eleven states that seceded, those states were; South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and lastly Tennessee. Though these states didn’t secede at the same time, it was still a big deal because at the time secession wasn’t legal, but it also hadn’t been ruled illegal yet. It was ruled illegal after the war. Many families and their...
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...Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 3/29/2015 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder A mental illness refers to a group of psychiatric disorders that are characterized by severe disturbances in thought, mood, and behavior. According to Zelman, PhD, Tompary, PharmD, Raymond, PhD, Holdaway, MA, and Mulvihill, PhD (2010) mental illness affects one of every four Americans. The history of post-traumatic stress disorder goes back as long as since there has been any trauma. During the early periods, it was war that caused post-traumatic stress disorder. Signs and symptoms may start within three months from a traumatic event but sometimes it can also take years to develop. Post-traumatic stress disorder can be diagnosed base on signs and symptoms as well as psychological evaluation. Treatment for post traumatic disorder is psychotherapy but also includes medication. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can affect individuals who have been exposed to an overwhelming traumatic incident such as the events of Hurricane Katrina, war, and or encounters of trauma such as rape, violence or child abuse. Throughout the history of post-traumatic stress disorder, it was not recognized as a disorder until 1980 in the Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (Zagata, 2010). In the earlier periods, post-traumatic stress disorder was limited to war experiences. During the American Civil War, many physicians in the military experienced emotionally behaviors to stress and fear of battle...
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...Abraham Lincoln in his speech ‘The Gettysburg Address’ do inspire morale plus motivation towards Union soldiers through the use of the rhetorical devices like a concession, ethos, repetition, and diction. During this time, things were different and moved in a direction that was not appropriate. In the late 1800s, the American setting was not favorable for all men because it was a time of slavery. As a result, people felt that they were treated in a wrong manner, and this led to the beginning of the civil war. The American civil war in the 1860s claimed over 8000 soldiers who were buried without dignity in temporary graves. The Gettysburg Address was a speech aimed at inspiring Union soldiers based on rhetorical elements. As a matter...
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