War And It

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War And It’s Effect On Society Essay, Research Paper Jessica Sanchez Wight Apocalypse Now! War and it s Effect on Society The Merriam – Webster s Collegiate Dictionary defines war as a state of open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations. If you ask anybody that has served in any type of warfare, you ll get a variety of answers, albeit none as sweet and simple as the one given in a dictionary. Even those that have never come close to the front line, such as the women and children back at home, have their own tales to tell. General William T. Sherman tells us that war is hell , but what does it feel like? How far does it push all those involved? War has a profound effect on everyone, regardless of race, gender, or age. When hearing the statistics of

a war, you learn how many are dead, injured, captured, and starving. When have you ever been told the number of people suffering from emotional trauma and stress disorders? The physical ramifications as a result of being in combat can range from a nick and a few scratches to losing a limb to losing a life. Time tends to heal these injuries. The psychological effects of war on the other hand are trickier to deal with. In most veterans that return home after fighting in war does not result in any major readjustment problems. It is not so easy for a small percentage of soldiers that suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to readjust. In fact the symptoms can remain for years after the experience of being in combat. Generally defined, this disorder consists of a set of symptoms

that emerge from an event or set of events that are on a level that exceeds the normal range of the human experience. This definition is not very specific and is quite open-ended. There are some characteristics of this disorder: feelings of helplessness, nightmares and or flashbacks, a separation or isolation from other people, lack of interest in activities that were at one time a favorite thing to do, anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating, phobic reactions, feelings of guilt, forgetfulness, headaches, and bouts of anger. The official criterion for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can be found in the DSM-III. It is the manual that trained professionals use to assess and diagnose patients that have psychiatric disorders. Although the purpose is to give some structure to aid

in recognizing this disorder there is nothing crystal clear about it. An event that is outside the range of the human experience, re-experiencing the event, avoidance of certain things, and heightening of energy are in a nut shell with other factors is how this disorder is recognized. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has been studied in the field of psychology quite extensively. It is a disorder that is hard to diagnose because the symptoms are elusive. There is concern about this disorder because it is similar to and presents itself as other psychiatric disorders, such as depression, panic, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders just to name a few. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can virtually mimic any condition in psychiatry. In the 1970s veterans that seeked help were often

diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and it was not until the 1980s that the diagnosis was changed to being Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This disorder has also been misdiagnosed as bipolar affective disorder (manic-depression), because a patient may come in and describe episodes of rage and terror, which are high energy states, and he may also describe times when they have little energy and depression takes hold. This disorder is difficult to diagnose even by a skilled physician. The methods used to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder vary. What may work on one individual may not work on another. When trying to work with patients with this disorder there are a few things to be aware of to make it easier for the patient and the therapist. First, the patient tends to be