General

This is part 2 in my series on PTSD. See part 1, “How the Brain Is Physically Changed With PTSD,” here. Soldiers of the Connecticut National Guard’s 143rd MP Co, stationed in Afghanistan, say a prayer for the families and the community of Newtown, CT. (US National Guard photo, December 18, 2012.) by James Hubbard, MD, MPH Say someone is robbed at gunpoint, or they’re walking down the street and their best friend is shot and killed in front of them. We think to ourselves, “Poor person. How can they ever cope with something like that?” Certainly we expect they’re going to need counseling. Soldiers in a war zone may face these same events over and over, for days or weeks upon end. Others are abused behind closed doors. These people, and many others, are at high risk for post-traumatic stress disorder. Because so many people have PTSD in wartimes (like right now), we learn a lot during these times about treating the disorder, not only in soldiers but in the public at large. […]

Paratroopers from 3rd Platoon, Company B, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division prepare to load a CH-47 Chinook Helicopter in the Bermel District of the Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan, Oct. 13, during an air-assault mission to detain a known militant. (Photo by U.S. Army Pfc. Andrya Hill, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Public Affairs.) by James Hubbard, MD, MPH With Memorial Day just past, I thought I might write on a fairly common medical problem that affects many soldiers coming back from war: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The reason I find this appropriate for The Survival Doctor is soldiers are not the only ones who can be affected. This same disorder can hit anyone who has experienced a major trauma or trauma of a loved one. Let me emphasize I do know that Memorial Day is meant to remember the men and women who have died in defense of our country. We should never forget and always honor their sacrifice, not only on Memorial Day but every day. But I think we should also not forget the permanently altered lives of the loved ones they left behind and those whose lives have been forever changed in any form from the direct horrors of war. Why Do Some People Get PTSD and Others Don’t? […]