Despite our efforts to provide peace and goodwill to the people around us, trauma will always be a part of our world. According to the National Center for PTSD, 60 percent of men and 50 percent of women experience trauma at least once in their lives, and trauma can happen in a multitude of ways: sexual assault, the death of a loved one, etc.
Of those who experience such trauma, however, only seven to eight percent go on to develop PTSD. The likelihood of developing PTSD increases for those who were directly exposed to the trauma as a victim or witness, were injured during the event, believed they were in danger or experienced trauma over an extended period of time. It’s no surprise, then, that when we think of PTSD we’re often reminded of war veterans, a group whose trauma fits many of these categories. Our treatment of PTSD varies naturally by victim and by nature of trauma, but when it comes to returned soldiers we may not be treating them as well as we could.
This is by no means meant to belittle the types of PTSD caused by trauma other than going to war: each form of PTSD affects sufferers in unique and equally meaningful ways. But it must be recognized that PTSD caused by experiences as a soldier are the product of greater environmental and internal changes. The victim of a sexual or physical assault, for example, experiences trauma that affects their sense of security in a certain place (a subway, parking lot, etc) or with a certain person (policeman, boss, etc). For the most part, though, they still have places where they can feel safe, and close proximity to friends and family aids greatly in recovering from their experiences. Deployed soldiers, on the other hand, are placed in completely new environments with little to no security, and not having loved ones close by can increase feelings of isolation and helplessness.
Treatment for PTSD takes two forms: pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. The first involves treatment via medication. The medications prescribed often include anticonvulsants, antidepressants and novel antipsychotics that could have potentially negative side effects we’re not yet aware of. According to Science Daily, the majority of PTSD sufferers have concurrent conditions like alcoholism, anxiety disorders and drug abuse problems, and pharmacotherapy may aggravate such conditions. Additionally, after reviewing a sample of 90 studies and trials of PTSD treatments, a committee found that most studies were conducted by pharmaceutical companies, creating a clear bias as well as problems in design and high dropout rates.
When it comes to psychotherapy, methods often include exposure to traumatic memories, cognitive behavioral therapy and coping skills. Each of these are somewhat successful, but they overlook a glaring fact: coping with PTSD doesn’t mean getting past trauma to be ”normal” again, but rather constructing a new normal that includes the traumatic experience. By urging them to “get it out of their system” in therapy sessions and act naturally outside, returned soldiers are deprived of the chance to find meaning in their suffering and often feel shame at the fact that they may feel and interact differently after their experience overseas.
War changes people. It changes the way we act around loud noises and new people and how we understand vulnerability and loss. By accepting these changes, sufferers of PTSD can recognize the trauma they’ve experienced while still working towards re-integrating themselves into society. Regularly including the families of sufferers in therapy sessions would also help increase communication with children and spouses who may be struggling in different ways, and support groups would help victims talk about their experiences and fears in an environment among peers instead of one with a doctor-patient dynamic.
Cultures respond to and treat suffering in different ways. Many American Indians find spiritual counseling and animal-assisted therapy to be very effective in treating PTSD alongside Western methods, and the Hopi Nation of northern Arizona in particular rely heavily upon a ceremony called Wiping Away the Tears. It’s here that returned soldiers are welcomed back into the tribe, renamed and participate in a cleansing ritual to dispel what they call “ghost sickness,” the memories that haunt survivors.
Regardless of the name we use, we are haunted by the trauma we each experience in life. This trauma isn’t meant to be forgotten or pushed away. It’s meant to be accepted and understood. It’s meant to be learned from. It acts as a reminder of the fragility of life and the hope and gratitude that keeps each of us going in the face of suffering. Our treatments for such trauma should reflect that.