Combat trauma develops in many soldiers following exposure to war and the events which take place within it. The most common sign of post-combat trauma is a soldier/veteran feeling very insecure and apprehensive, always ready to self-protect. Military combat is the most common cause of combat trauma in men. But in reality, it manifests itself in different ways and events, with the significant difference being the name chosen for it. Any series of events that overwhelms a person with feelings of helplessness and hopelessness and leaves the person emotionally shattered can cause or trigger trauma ( Jammes, 2010) . This is especially if the event felt or feels uncontrollable and unpredictable. The most common combat trauma experienced by veterans is PTSD short for a Post-traumatic stress disorder.
After a traumatic experience, the mind and the body are in shock. But as one gains an apt perception of what has happened and processes their emotions, they slowly come out of the state of shock. With post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), however, the subject remains in a state of psychological trauma ( Elspeth, 2017) . The subject’s memory of what happened and your feelings about it are disconnected. To move on, it’s important to face and feel your memories and emotions. The symptoms experienced can be divided into four stages, these are; Re-Experiencing the traumatic event, avoidance and numbing, hyperarousal and negative thought and mood changes. Each step has its defining characteristics. The first stage is characterized by; Intrusive, upsetting memories of the event
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Intense distress, primarily when a memory of the trauma is triggered.
Constant remembrance of the traumatic event/flashback episodes.
Intense physical reactions to reminders of the event (e.g., pounding heart, rapid breathing, nausea, muscle tension, sweating)
Nightmares (either of frightening things or the fact)
If you’re suffering from the above symptoms, it does not necessarily mean you have PTSD, and even so, in the later chapters of this post, there are highly viable treatment options that will get you back to normal in no time.
The following characteristics characterize the second phase;
Staying away from people and places that may lead to the remembrance of the trauma.
Not being able to remember all that happened within the traumatic event.
Withdrawal and loss of interest in life’s activities.
Feeling emotionally numb and detached from others.
Limited sense of the future-not is seeing oneself going through the typical stages of life, e.g. Marriage, etc.
The third and fourth stage have relatable characteristics, but the above two steps are the most crucial in determining if you as a veteran are suffering from combat trauma.
Treatment
Treatment of the combat trauma is not an easy deal. However, there are a variety of methods that have been put forth to medicate combat trauma in veterans and extensively other people who didn’t get PTSD or related trauma via combat. The plans include; Family therapy , which is mainly family geared or supported. It helps the family to understand what you as a person are going through and what they can do to maintain/repair the relationships existent within the family structure. According to Aphrodite (2007), the normalcy of family slowly brings one back to the reality of the present, slowly “erasing” the trauma experienced. Time is a healer. With time, the traumatized patients can slowly but surely overcome all the shocking and traumatic experiences that they had.
Second is a Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy which involves the subject being exposed to pictures or the reality of the trauma, in the present. The current images and exposure slowly help the issue to get a more balanced picture of the traumatic experience. Replacing the previous memories and ideas about the event.
The third is medication, which is typically administered to patients to treat secondary symptoms of PTSD or any other trauma thereof, but not addresses the PTSD itself. However, through continuous medication, subjects have been seen to recover entirely from PTSD. The regiment of treatment used, however, will depend on the advice of one’s physician. Lastly is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), this course of therapy integrates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with eye movements, left-right stimulation, in combination with other forms of rhythmic movements, e.g. hand taps or sounds. The main aim or approach of this method is to “decongest” the brain’s pathways, slowly doing away with the blockages caused by the traumatic event.
The method best applicable to most people who experience combat trauma is the last method discussed, this is EMDR. The EMDR Institute specialized in the said method of treatment, and additionally, it is cost effective. EMDR therapy at the EMDR Institute, involves typically attention to three time periods: the future, present, and past. However, a lot of focus is given to past troubling memories and connected events. Attention is also provided to present facts that may cause distress or trigger flashes of the past traumatic event (Meineck, 2014). EMDR is done in 8 stages at the EMDR Institute. However, the steps may vary depending on the institute. The first phase is the actual appreciation session, where the subject attempts to recount the event or situation leading to the event in a simulated and calm environment. The relaxed atmosphere helps the question to remember in detail what happened while keeping them in a quiet state that the trauma does not recur or worsen the memories.
In the second phase, the subject is empowered with different ways of handling emotional stress. The therapist employs a variety of stress reduction and imagery techniques the client can use during and between sessions (Elspeth, 2017). A specific objective, unique to EMDR is to ensure that the subject produces rapid results while maintaining their equilibrium and balancing progress with recovery.
In phases 3 to 6, in aspects three to six, a specific memory or feeling is targeted and isolated using EMDR therapy processes. It may involve a different combination of the following actions: the subject giving their vivid and visual image related to the traumatic memory, second is a contrary belief that they have picked up about themselves and lastly is any related body sensations and emotions.
Following this, the subject is asked to identify a positive belief that they strongly feel they relate to. After this, they are asked to rate their emotional attachment to the positive thinking in comparison to that of the strongest contrary impression they have. After this, the client is coached to focus on the image, negative thought, and body sensations while concurrently engaging in EMDR processing using sets of two-sided stimulation. These respective sets may include taps, eye movements, or tones (Aphrodite, 2007). The type of combinations used also vary from client to client, with the underpinning being that clients are encouraged to focus on the definite sensation that they get from the stimulation.
The last two phases are less intense or involving; stage seven mainly requires closure. The subject is asked to keep a log of activities happening within a duration of time, usually a week. This gives the client an outlook of how their recovery is going. Heavy focus is however placed on the events that keep the subject calm and composed. The last phase consists of examining the progress made thus far (Jammes, 2010). The subject may be exposed to the circumstances that cause the trauma; then the therapist notes the growth made and if any of the preceding stages need to be repeated.
The treatment of combat trauma amongst other forms of trauma is vital to all soldiers from the war front or any different types of conflict. Soldiers go through much in the course of their duties. They suffer mental and physical torture. Therefore, they need a reliable but comprehensive recovery plan that will see them overcome the traumatic challenges. Extensively, the need for mental health should be high on the charts of healthcare officials and institutions (Elspeth, 2017). Although much ground has been covered within the field of medicating PTSD and related traumas, more can still be done. About soldiers who get PTSD, the government owes them the best healthcare and support as they reached the condition while in servitude to their country.
References
Aphrodite, M. (2007). Back from the Front: Combat Trauma, Love, and the Family, U.S.A, Sidran Institute Press.
Elspeth, C. R. (2017). Intimacy Post-injury: Combat Trauma and Sexual Health, London, Oxford University Press.
Jammes, D. J. (2010). Combat Trauma: A Personal Look at Long-Term Consequences
Lanham Maryland, Little Field Publishers.
Meineck, D. K. (2014). Combat Trauma and the Ancient Greeks, Lanham Maryland, Little Field Publishers.
