FREE ESSAY ON POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AFFLICTING VIETNAM VETERANS

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AFFLICTING VIETNAM VETERANS

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder afflicts a number of vietnam veterans who suffered
extremely traumatic, and often consistent, experiences in the vietnam war. Many who do
not understand the disorder at all view PTSD(post traumatic stress disorder) as an
elaborate diagnosis for a vague set of symptoms that would otherwise be associated with
other psycological problems. PTSD wasn't a recognized disorder after the Vietnam war
until 1980, when it was included in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic
Manual. Every Industrialized society has The Validity of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
in Affecting Vietnam Veterans
had a commonly know concept of war sickness or a similar affliction for war veterans, but
the development of the Psychiatric proffession allowed for the serious scientific
treatment of this type of disorder. In 1980 Congress mandated numerous vet centers aimed
at helping all veterans readjust to society, and these centers have become more and more
concerned and innovative in treating PTSD in Vietnam veterans (Mclellan 1). PTSD is by no
means a falsely diagnosed pseudo-disorder, and in analyzing accurate persectives (as well
as the innaccurate ones) concerning the treatment of PTSD, one can view the disorder in a
more truthful and knowledgable light, as a valid affliction that does and has always
deserved specific medical attention. 
In order to understand the nature of PTSD it is necessary to evaluate how the disorder is
defined by the psychiatric profession. Commonly accepted symptoms of PTSD are Depression,
feelings of isolation, Recurrent nightmares, irrational behavior, poor coping skills and
a sense of guilt (Manson 3). Some physical symptoms include hypertension and heart
dissease, thyroid and harmonal abnormality, weekend immune system, physical
desensitization, and behavioral symptoms such as alcoholism and excessive smoking and
drug abuse (3). All of these symptoms are often characteristic of the many veterans who
are diagnosed with PTSD.