One of the most stigmatized and misunderstood mental health disorders is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). What’s sad about this particular disorder is that PTSD affects millions of Americans who have experienced some sort of trauma, whether they are civilians or people serving in the armed forces. However, our military men and women are more susceptible to developing PTSD due to head injuries, as well as the extended periods of stress they are under while out on the field.
One interesting fact about PTSD is that it can sometimes take years to develop, which can create issues when it comes to trying to diagnose an individual. Experts tend to agree that in order to correctly diagnose a PTSD case, the person must experience symptoms for at least a month. These symptoms can include anxiety, self-loathing, irritability, and most of all severe depression.
A major problem with the PTSD epidemic in the military is it is causing many good men and women who are serving to be discharged for misconduct. What’s sad about this, is most of the time the misconduct is a direct result of PTSD symptoms. Thankfully, new studies have emerged when it comes PTSD and the military with the hopes of changing the discharge process and getting our military members the help that they need.