Post Traumatic Stress Analysis

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Pages: 10

The stress of multiple deployments to Afghanistan may cause service members dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to act out in violence towards those they love. Upon the return home from the combat theater the family must immediately adjust to a new routine, which can cause great stress for the family. According to Lowe, “Communication between the service member and family is often difficult to reestablish, and many spouses will conceal their feelings to avoid confrontation” (Lowe, 2012). The service member may not want to speak about the deployment, and instead internalize their emotions instead of dealing with them. This can be a dangerous time, since the service member may not know how to deal with their emotions and may act out in violence. This risk factor for violence is increased if as a child the soldier experienced unaddressed traumas of living in a violence household, child maltreatment, and if drugs were ever abused prior to combat (Dupont-Morales, 2011). The soldier who has not addressed prior trauma is instead placing trauma on top of trauma, and never healing from what is causing mental anguish. The risk factors are also enhanced if the soldier returns home with an injury, or is coping with the death of a comrade (Dupont-Morales, 2011). The soldier returning home from combat may also seek to avoid any situation …show more content…
While the idea of deployment is often “romanticized” by the media, it is anything but that for the family waiting on the home front for their loved one. Since the terrorist attacks on the United States, more than 1.3 million American service members have been deployed (Lowe, 2012). These service members while in the combat theater are experiencing many unfamiliar situations and without proper Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder screening upon return, they may post an increased risk of domestic