PTSD Articles...

VAK · Post by **VAK** » December 1st, 2004, 1:58 am

This being a hot topic of late, I thought I would share some of my sideline research without going into the personal interviews (for obvious reasons) or go into the DSM Manual's as they are just a bit dry and mind numbing. I am posting these articles as a starting point to begin a dialogue. There are those who believe that PTSD does not exist or is something used to get attention by those who "...haven't been there or done that." While I am sure that there are those who abuse the system claiming PTSD, we also have those who fraudulently make claims for back injuries, knee injuries, etc. Equally said, we have countless numbers of veteran's who are injured with heir knes, backs and possibly PTSD. In an effort to better prepare us for what is a reality and further something WE CAN make a difference in, I have pulled these articles from the Army/Air Force Time's. It was a jump off point for my research aside from those interviews or my paper which is mind numbing with statistics and is prepared from a standpoint not for eduating but more for obtaining funding from Congress. So, again to reiterate, I would ask that as you read some of these articles, we start a dialogue on this topic..

http://www.armytimes.com/archivepaper.p ... 758288.php

Issue Date: April 21, 2003

DÃ©jÃ vu?
War brings back memories for gulf vets

By Suzanne Grover
Special to the Times

Gunnery Sgt. Ronald Eisenacher Jr. said watching the war on television is driving him crazy, because heâ€™s not there.
â€œIâ€™d rather be over there. Because I feel that Iâ€™m supposed to be over there,â€

Steadfast · Post by **Steadfast** » December 1st, 2004, 5:33 am

I met this guy Robert Mason's wife. I believe his wife also has a book and does work on P.T.S.D. I forgot her name is it Marsha? anyway, I met her at the V.A. Hospital in Manhattan, after a Seminar of some sorts. Shit it had to be 7 or more years ago I believe. His wife's book was extremely hard to read thru the first few chapters. It was really gruesome.

Good post Jim. Thanks you.

Mom in Texas · Post by **Mom in Texas** » January 13th, 2005, 1:06 pm

As I was reading this post I remembered visiting Mrs. Masonâ€™s website recently. I found it again this morning and it is posted below. There are many links on the site. I found the ones near the bottom of the page labeled â€œPTG#1â€

VAK · Post by **VAK** » February 27th, 2005, 9:53 pm

How close are we Terry to the DSM being revised yet again in the face of the current conflict and more importantly the changes in signs and symptoms we are seeing today? Or those we are anticipating. Is it fair to assume that we are to expect the same statistical numbers or higher numbers, again statistically as those for US troops deployed in RVN as compared to troops deployed in OIF/OEF? In my reading and studies, it would seem as though the numbers would be increased as the numbers of non-combat troops exposed to direct combat has so dramatically increased in this conflict. Further, the number of instances of "Hostile Action Exposure" has also reportedly statistically increased... So, simply based on those numbers, it would seem as the numbers we would see effected by incidents of mental injury would increase. (I have no data on the effectiveness on the impact of field counseling, awareness etc...)

Thanks Brother,
tacp

BIG MARE · Post by **BIG MARE** » January 27th, 2006, 4:58 pm

Dave Grossman has an interesting book concerning this topic called "On Combat" he explains the physiological and psycological effects of pre, active, and post combat expierences. His examples cover law enforcement members, military personnal alike from his personnal interviews with veterans. He introduces interesting measures that have been used to eleviate the effects through stress inoculation to detour what affects an individual in the post time frame of a hostile situation. I found that book interesting. He gave me a copy of it when he visited my college law enforcement academy, as well as "On Killing", which explains the transition of the military from WWII with a 10 to 15% enemy kill ratio to Vietnam with a 90 to 95%. Such effective combat measures lead to the expodential increase with the very thing we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

BIG MARE · Post by **BIG MARE** » January 27th, 2006, 5:04 pm

Dave Grossman has an interesting book concerning this topic called "On Combat" he explains the physiological and psycological effects of pre, active, and post combat expierences. His examples cover law enforcement members, military personnal alike from his personnal interviews with veterans. He introduces interesting measures that have been used to eleviate the effects through stress inoculation to detour what affects an individual in the post time frame of a hostile situation. I found that book interesting. He gave me a copy of it when he visited my college law enforcement academy, as well as "On Killing", which explains the transition of the military from WWII with a 10 to 15% enemy kill ratio to Vietnam with a 90 to 95%. Such effective combat measures lead to the expodential increase with the very thing we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

I can't beilieve I am catching my own typos six months latter in this post!

Stew86 · Post by **Stew86** » January 27th, 2006, 6:05 pm

"Special Forces troops are less likely to suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder than other combat troops because they produce more of a brain-calming chemical in their blood, according to a report in NewScientist.com."

I find this very interesting due to the fact that it could either be the type of man and a certain character Special Operations Units require, or that it could be the intense and elaborate training that Rangers, SF, etc. must endure, or both.

BIG MARE wrote: Such effective combat measures lead to the expodential increase with the very thing we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

It would seem that with all the phsycological support available these days that PTSD wouldn't be as much of a problem as it was in previous wars.

The article stated that the DSM-II didn't include PTSD or ASD type disorders mostly likely due to the absence of war or a high number of national disasters which is interesting. The DSM-IV-TR differentiates between Actute PTSD (duration of symptoms less than three months) and Chronic PTSD (symptoms lasting longer than three months), and also defines Delayed Onset as having first symptoms at least 6 mothns after the stressor. Statistically, it seems that Chronic, Delayed Onset is more prevalent, this is just my speculation thought. PTSD also seems to have a genetic component: "a family history of anxiety suggests a generalized biological vulnerability for PTSD," (Davidson...1987). To further this, studies show a higher correlation between identical twins than fraternal twins, which also suggests genetics.

Studies were also done post 9/11 in areas close to the World Trade Center and found a 20% (representative sample) prevalence of PTSD. I will read more into this as I am very interested in the history, orgins, and stats of this disorder.

Sorry for the long post Rangers, Veterans and parents; I just love psychology.

66G_RN · Post by **66G_RN** » January 27th, 2006, 6:07 pm

VAK, there very well may be some revisions in the DSM in regards to more detailed diagnoses over the next few years as more data is gathered. As clinicians, DarkSaga is much more knowledgable than I about clinical psychology so I hope he will drop in and perhaps give us his opinion as well.

B 2/75 · Post by **B 2/75** » January 27th, 2006, 8:22 pm

Stew86 wrote:"Special Forces troops are less likely to suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder than other combat troops because they produce more of a brain-calming chemical in their blood, according to a report in NewScientist.com."

I find this very interesting due to the fact that it could either be the type of man and a certain character Special Operations Units require, or that it could be the intense and elaborate training that Rangers, SF, etc. must endure, or both.
BIG MARE wrote: Such effective combat measures lead to the expodential increase with the very thing we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
It would seem that with all the phsycological support available these days that PTSD wouldn't be as much of a problem as it was in previous wars.

Stew86,
I'd be a bit careful taking such broad-brush statements as the one above as gospel. I'd venture that SOF troops who have gone through a long pipeline are less likely to REPORT any symptons due to the persistant and pervasive descriminatory stance the Army still takes against those having PTSD. Think about it... you take a year or more to become qualified. Then you deploy, get into a bunch of shit and legitemately become affected by PTSD or similar symptions. How quick are you going to be to essentially end your career?

When the blanket treatment of those with PTSD ends, and security clearances are no longer impacted, and MRBs stop with the boot actions, THEN I think the percentage of SOF types who have symptoms will rise. Not before.

But for that reference to say that they have an actual physiological difference I think is assinine.

Stew86 · Post by **Stew86** » January 27th, 2006, 8:49 pm

I guess I never thought of it like that. Thank you for the insight Ranger B 2/75. After all that hard work and training, I guess most SOF soldiers would keep their mouth shut about such things/symptoms until they get out. Taking into consideration all of the other possibilities, would it also be possible that because SOF soldiers are tough, that they initially just shake the symptoms off and tell themselves it's nothing? Then when they get out they realize that it's a reocurring issue and won't just go away?Just another possible perspective I guess.

BIG MARE · Post by **BIG MARE** » January 28th, 2006, 9:56 am

STW86,
You are a fucking moron. Didn't your mother teach you "If you don't know what the fuck your talking about, don't say anything at all." Do your own research, try Killology.com. Don't quote me in your incoherant babbles to try to validate your uneducated opinion.

Stew86 · Post by **Stew86** » January 28th, 2006, 12:42 pm

Sorry, I never meant to offend you. I have done my own research from four of my psychology books, none of them have any information on PTSD specific to soldiers or SOF personnel which is why I was curious on that subject. What I said wasn't necessarily my own opinion, just some speculation on the possibilities of SOF soldiers and a low prevalence of PTSD. Again, I'm sorry BIG MARE if I came off the wrong way...shutting up now and pushing.

BIG MARE · Post by **BIG MARE** » January 28th, 2006, 7:16 pm

Back to Dave Grossman, his publications have been growing since 2000.
He has expounded on the subject with interviews from veterans of the global war on terroism.

The link is http://www.killology.com/publications.htm