Thank you to all veterans and active duty military today on Veterans Day.
Remembering with pride and honor, Happy Veterans Day!
This year as we pay tribute to all of our Veterans lets take a moment to thank them for their service and their sacrifices for our country!
PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) is a mental health problem that AFFECTS 1 IN 11 AMERICANS. Veterans make up 30% of all PTSD cases in America. PTSD is caused by some form of trauma. This trauma could have been caused by a number of things such as, experiencing or witnessing a life threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault.
In earlier wars, it was called "soldier's hearat," "shell shock," or "combat fatigue." Today, doctors recognize these issues as a distinct medical condition called posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
PTSD can occur after a traumatic event such as military combat, a physical assault, or a natural disaster. While stress is common after a trauma, people with PTSD often relive a traumatic event in their minds. They may also feel distant from friends and family and experience anger that does not go away over time, or may even get worse.
PTSD can affect individuals who have experienced a wide range of life-threatening events. VA’s National Center for PTSD estimates that about 8% of the population will have PTSD at some point in their lives. In Veterans, PTSD is commonly associated with combat trauma.
Sleep Problems in Veterans with PTSD
Sleep problems—in particular chronic insomnia and nightmares—are frequently some of the most troubling aspects of PTSD. While these sleep problems are considered symptoms of PTSD, the evidence suggests that they tend to become independent problems over time that warrant sleep-focused assessment and treatment.
It has been argued that sleep problems, rather than being just symptoms of PTSD, are a hallmark of the disorder
Insomnia was also the most commonly reported PTSD symptom in a survey of Veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq. In the Millennium Cohort Study, 92% of active duty personnel with PTSD, compared to 28% of those without PTSD, reported clinically significant levels of insomnia.
