PTSD

Coping with the emotional toll of war

PTSD is a real threat that can lead to multiple issues: unemployment, homelessness, and suicide.

After the Civil War, they called it soldier’s heart or nostalgia – the emotional and psychological symptoms experienced by war veterans.

In WWI it was shellshock

In WWII and Korea it was battle fatigue.

Today we know it by the name it was given after Vietnam – Post-traumatic stress disorder.

Officially designated by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980.

The Most common symptoms are emotional numbing, hyper-arousal (irritability, vigilance) and re-experiencing traumatic situations through flashbacks and emotions. Symptoms may take months or even years to surface. People with acute PTSD generally recover in three to six months, but chronic PTSD can go on for decades.

Reasons today for not seeking medical care:

They would be seen as weak; their unit leadership might see them differently; unit members might have less confidence in them; and it would be difficult getting time off work. This is issues for the new veterans, in past there was no immediate help. Today we have NSVCS to assist you. Please come in and see us.