post traumatic stress-on the rise?, page 1

As troops return from the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, it seems the condition of post traumatic stress is on the rise; according to Alfonso Batres, who heads the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Readjustment Counseling Service.
"The numbers coming in are escalating" says Batres.

www.msnbc.msn.com
Aug. 29 - Sept. 5, 2005 issue - Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) doesn't leave a visible battle scar. That may be one reason it's hard to quantify just how many soldiers suffer from it. In July 2004, a report in The New England Journal of Medicine estimated that 17 percent of soldiers returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom had PTSD-related symptoms.

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I believe that the numbers are rising much more than the scientists predict, as the solders are too proud or think they will not get attention if they complain.
so what is PTSD? PTSD is when a person is exposed to stressful experiences which often involve threat to their life. these include: combat pressure, childhood sexual abuse, rape, violent attacks, natural catastrophes, and life-threatening complications at child birth.
"Symptoms can include general restlessness, insomnia, aggressiveness, depression, dissociation, emotional detachment, or nightmares." wikipedia
mood swings are also a symptom, often causing breakups with partners, lose of friends, and withdrawal.
Hyperarousal is a symptom often characterized by PTSD. the individual is ever prepared to fight or to run. exhaustion can result from this, and the person cannot sleep due to nightmares.
another is Avoidance: avoiding anything that has anything to do with the experience. like memories, people, places, even their own thoughts.

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[edit on 10-9-2005 by DJDOHBOY]