David Taylor

English 1102-01
Ms. Eaker
Round Table
While conducting my research I happened to come across three main ocus groups that
play a key role a!out my in"uiry. I have chosen spouses #ho have seen the immediate
e$posure to a person #ho have issues #hich %T&D. The psychologist #ho #ork and
council as #ell a deine %T&D' and #hat they are doing to resolve the issues that
coincide. (astly I #ill #rite a!out the leader o the military orces #hose main purpose is
to spread a#areness through the ranks a!out %T&D.
The military spouse plays a key role #ith %T&D' they are like the ront line o deense
#hen it comes to a military me never having episodes' like nightmares or having a
lash!ack #hile in pu!lic. I have read countless stories o spouse #ho had to nurse a
com!at veteran !ack to health !ecause it #as almost impossi!le or there loved one to
unction. The author o the !log' )avy Medicine (ive %aul *ose !elieves that supporting
%T&D on the amily ront to !e aected he states' +Many sailors' soldiers' Marines and
airmen return rom deployments #ith posttraumatic stress disorder. ,s a amily mem!er
o a person suering rom %T&D' #e must !e strong or them in a variety o #ays to help
them com!at the disorder.+ I personally ell the same #ay #ithout the sting support o my
amily I #ould eel alone' like an empty shell. This has proven to !e very eective #hen
consoled !y psychiatrist- they encouraged it in pretty much all cases.
When amily mem!ers see the sighs o %T&D there immediate response should !e getting
them to
a clinical psychologist to evaluate them. %sychologist usually diagnoses %T&D' as .%ost-
Traumatic &tress Disorder /%T&D0 is an an$iety disorder that may develop ater e$posure
to a terriying event or ordeal in #hich severe physical harm occurred or #as threatened
Traumatic events that may trigger %T&D include violent personal assaults' natural or
unnatural disasters' accidents' or military com!at.1 ,ccording to the #e! site psychology
today. ,lso psychology today goes in depth on the various treatments they administer +2
Educating trauma survivors and their amilies a!out ho# persons get %T&D' ho# %T&D
aects survivors and their loved ones' and other pro!lems commonly associated #ith
%T&D symptoms. 3nderstanding that %T&D is a medically recogni4ed an$iety disorder is
essential or eective treatment.
2 E$posure to the event via imagery allo#s the survivor to re-e$perience the event in a
sae' controlled environment. , proessional can careully e$amine reactions and !elies
in relation to that event.
2 E$amining and resolving strong eelings such as shame' anger' or guilt' #hich are
common among survivors o trauma.
2 Teaching the survivor to cope #ith post-traumatic memories' reminders' reactions' and
eelings #ithout !ecoming over#helmed or emotionally num!. Trauma memories usually
do not go a#ay entirely as a result o therapy' !ut ne# coping skills can make them more
managea!le.+ 5om!ined #ith various medications %T&D can !e managed !ut not cured.
,s a Military leader I eel that %T&D should !e on the oreront o their minds. While
they tend to do a good 6o! there is al#ays room or improvement. 7ere8s #hat 9en.
,mos 5ommandant o the Marine 5orp said a!out %T&D in an intervie# conducted !y
the Washington %ost' +I have !een asked . . . should you have igured this out sooner:+
said ,mos' #ho #as recently tapped to !e Marine 5orps commandant. +;eah' #e should
have. <ut #e didn8t. It has !een evolutionary.+ What he is saying is that the militaries
ight against %T&D #as not dealt #ith hard enough !ut no# they are evolving their !attle
plan to !etter it the needs o us service men and veterans. &o #hat e$actly !eing done !y
our military leaders' rom #hat I read on the #e!site !y the ,merica %sychological
,ssociation' the military leaders attend conerences that coach them on ho# to spread
a#areness to the enlisted personnel' Terri Tanielian a *,)D researcher comments saying
.They =military leaders> are doing a lot to shit the culture and raise a#areness o mental
health pro!lems in the military.1 It sho#s good aith that the leaders are trying to !reak
do#n the stigma o mental illness including %T&D in the ranks.
What I can conclude a!out my voices is that there is much #ork to !e #hen it comes to
%T&D. It cant !e done !y the eected on there o#n' they need a strong support system to
guide through as they recover rom !eing mentally #ounded. It?s also great to kno# that
our leaders o our military are #orking alongside psychologist to get to the !ottom o
possi!ly doing a#ay #ith %T&D altogether. While it seems like an unattaina!le goal'
inding ne# #ays to cope #ill have to do or no#.
Work Cited
*ose' %aul. Navy Medicine Live.201@. Military.com. May 1 201A
%sycologytoday.com May 1 201A
Bae' 9reg. Military Reckons with the Mental Wounds of War. Buly 1C 2010.
Washingtonpost.com. May 1 201A