Just recently, I
was going about my usual business catching up on one of my favorite tv shows,
Grey’s Anatomy. However, I was very
surprised when, in one of the scenes, a doctor had a post-traumatic stress
disorder episode and began choking a woman. Not only was this shocking and sad
to see, but it got me thinking about how evident post-traumatic stress disorder
is in our soldiers and veterans today. The statistics I found were way more shocking and unbelievable than the scenes
from Grey’s Anatomy.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that normally follows when one experiences a traumatic event. Symptoms of this disorder include recurring visual nightmares about these traumatic events, hesitation in discussing these tragic events, and difficulty in completing and taking part in usual daily activities and tasks ( Do Something). This disorder can very often lead to serious problems, including death. According to a report from the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, every sixty-five minutes a military veteran commits suicide. Unfortunately, not only is it former United States military, but there are also 349 active duty personnel suicides.; that breaks down to almost one suicide a day (Forbes) This proves to be a very crucial issue, with, after a decade in war, soldier suicides outnumber combat deaths. But what can we do to stop this phenomenon from occuring? These are our American soldiers who are fighting for our freedom, but why aren’t we doing more to help our current soldiers and veterans with post traumatic stress disorder? What are ways in which we, as citizens of the United States, can raise awareness of this growing problem? After reading about some ways that we can help stop this phenomenon from happening, what do you think would be the best way to go about it?
Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that normally follows when one experiences a traumatic event. Symptoms of this disorder include recurring visual nightmares about these traumatic events, hesitation in discussing these tragic events, and difficulty in completing and taking part in usual daily activities and tasks ( Do Something). This disorder can very often lead to serious problems, including death. According to a report from the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, every sixty-five minutes a military veteran commits suicide. Unfortunately, not only is it former United States military, but there are also 349 active duty personnel suicides.; that breaks down to almost one suicide a day (Forbes) This proves to be a very crucial issue, with, after a decade in war, soldier suicides outnumber combat deaths. But what can we do to stop this phenomenon from occuring? These are our American soldiers who are fighting for our freedom, but why aren’t we doing more to help our current soldiers and veterans with post traumatic stress disorder? What are ways in which we, as citizens of the United States, can raise awareness of this growing problem? After reading about some ways that we can help stop this phenomenon from happening, what do you think would be the best way to go about it?
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