African American Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Association

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a term used to explain the distress of those who have gone through such an extraordinary and stressful event in their lives that it has left them psychologically wounded. Generally, individuals with PTSD experience intense fear, helplessness, or horror during trauma exposure. The trauma of military service in war such as being under enemy fire or ambushed; very hazardous duty such as being a team member in reconnaissance aircraft, patrol boats, navy ships or cargo and transport trucks is one such cause. Being on frequent or prolonged combat missions in enemy territory (including Cambodia and Laos ), being attacked by sappers, snipers, artillery or rockets is yet another cause. The witnessing of death and terrible harm to your own body or the bodies of others; or walking point, being a radio operator, a medic, a scout, a tunnel rat, and perimeter sentry were other stressors. Members of long range recon patrols or door gunners and the extreme conflict of having to kill or be killed is another primary cause of PTSD during war times in the military.

Other stresses sufficient to cause PTSD other than those aforementioned are situation where the demands made on a person strain his or her immediate coping capacities. When a person feels unable to resolve conflicts with work or family, he or she begins to feel tense and strained. Where there is extreme or overwhelming stress, i.e. stress that is beyond what is expected in the "normal" life cycle, trauma results. It is this shock reaction to catastrophic events, such as war, sexual assault, physical assaults, serious accidents or natural disasters that can lead to PTSD. The aftermath of childhood sexual assaults, physical abuse or severe neglect and the sudden unexpected death of a love one are others that can lead to PTSD triggering within the individuals an experience of intense fear, helplessness, or horror during trauma exposure.

Most Veterans with PTSD also have other psychiatric disorders, which are a consequence of PTSD. These Veterans have co-occurring disorders, which include depression, alcohol and/or drug abuse problems, panic, and/or other anxiety disorders. PTSD sufferers are more likely to have more physical health complaints and disorders; exhibit functional deficits in employment, social and family relationships, memory and cognition.

PTSD is one of the most prevalent mental disorders in American society and it affects approximately 40% to 70% of the population, and it has a lifetime prevalence range of 8% to 31%. Approximately twenty two percent (22%) or 830,000 Vietnam veterans have clinically significant symptoms of PTSD that has existed for decades. Eight percent (8%) of Gulf War Veterans have a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD, while 40% to 75% of Veterans held captive as POWs suffer from the effects of PTSD.

Women are twice as likely as men are to develop PTSD, and the disorder is considerably longer lasting for women than men. The severity, frequency, intensity, reaction and support following the incidence including the duration of the exposure are the single most important determinant of the likelihood for developing PTSD, its severity, and its duration.

What are the Effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a hidden enemy and must be exposed if we are to better understand the serious effects that post traumatic stress disorder has on the lives of so many minorities. Decades of haunting memories and overwhelming feelings leave these Veterans suffering, demoralized, and alone. Others including the spouse, children, family members, friends, and co-workers are often more aware of the Veteran's emotional distress than he is.

Often the Veteran believes his family or community needs him to bear the burden of pain, anger, shame and guilt silently. He also believes post traumatic stress disorder symptoms are a sign of weakness and failure, due to a lack of will power, self-discipline, or self-control and a shameful personal flaw that must be hidden or corrected by behaving more correctly. Yet, for these veterans, post traumatic stress disorder may be an extreme spiritual crisis because when family or friends see signs of the veterans' inner turmoil, they do not know why it is happening and often blame themselves.

Post traumatic stress disorder as included here and listed in the "Publication Manual of the American Psycological Association" fourth edition (DSM-IV) should be viewed by Veterans and health-care providers as a physical illness and treated as such. Some of the effects of post traumatic stress disorder are:

Unwanted distressing memories or a feeling of reliving (flashbacks) traumatic Vietnam experiences.
Nightmares and difficulty falling or staying asleep restfully.
Bodily stress and tension, especially when reminded of traumatic Vietnam experiences.
Loss of interest in activities and difficulty in concentrating on activities or projects.
Detachment or withdrawal from emotional involvement in relationships.
Difficulty feeling or expressing emotions other than irritability or frustration.
Feeling as if there is no future or their lives will be cut short by an untimely death.
Feeling jumpy, on edge, easily startled and unable to let down their guard (hyper-vigilance).

Neither these symptoms nor others are what the Veterans, their families or Veterans Administration (VA) Counselors and Doctors realized would be so tremendous and would later be diagnosed as post traumatic stress disorder. This is evident by the many minorities that were separated from military service with entries in their medical records and papers of separation implying their mental disorder was anything except what is now described in the DSM - IV as post traumatic stress disorder. It is time for this cycle to end, as it no longer affects only the veteran. Signs of post traumatic stress disorder are very prevalent in the lives of many family members where there is a veteran who suffers from the disease now recognized as post traumatic stress disorder.

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