PTSD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PTSD - Essay Example Biological Basis of PTSD Some researchers suggest that there is a biological basis for PTSD but others are not sure whether there is a connection or not. According to Moisse (2011) a new study has shown that there is some type of biological connection. According to the new study, researchers had previously found that there is a connection between a hormone-like molecule called PACAP and the brain's ability to respond to stress. The researchers checked the PACAP levels and found that they were higher in people with PTSD. The challenge for this research was that this connection related only to women. These researchers also looked at how PACAP impacted fear in women. They found that a genetic encoding called PAC1 was more present in women who had PTSD and high levels of PACAP, also had this gene which is a gene that responds to estrogen. The researchers believe that this is a first step I helping find a way to predict who will get PTSD (Moisse, 2011). According to Howard and Crandall (2 007) the systems that are most used in PTSD are the autonomic system and the sympathetic systems. The autonomic system regulates the basic body systems without us thinking about it. The sympathetic system controls the handles our reaction to the "fight or flight" condition while the parasympathetic system works on physical symptoms like slowing the heart down, stimulating digestion and constricting the pupils of the eyes. The hippocampus of the brain remains in a state of "high alert" so that it can bring the body into a familiar state of what happened in similar threats from the past. In so doing, it will also overproduce the hormone, cortisol along with other "neuro-excitatory transmitters" and hippocampal cells will "degenerate and eventually die" (Trappler, 2010, p. 1). The brain and the other symptoms react very quickly as the individual is having a PTSD experience. The Video Reaction to Stress In the video, The Soldier's Heart many soldiers spoke about how they reacted to stre ss. It was clear that not only were their physical reactions to stress but also psychological ones. Many soldiers spoke about the physical symptoms of seeing things or hearing things that were not in their present life. They also spoke about becoming angry, depressed and attempting to ignore what they were feeling. Once soldier talked about crying uncontrollably and spending times just staring into space. The psychological aspects of PTSD were more devastating for the soldiers in the video because they were not allowed to talk about them. They stated that the military expects them to be able to handle what happened to them without assistance from counseling. The challenge is that many soldiers saw people die in front of them or had to kill people they did not know. These soldiers who were in Iraq stated that they found themselves drinking more frequently and drinking more alcohol than was normal for them, not wanting to be around people and talking more about Iraq to anyone who woul d listen. These psychological issues often created more challenges for them as they went through their lives. One soldier committed suicide by hanging himself with a garden hose because of his feelings about killing an innocent Iraqi woman. The challenge for the military is that up until recently, they were not doing anything to treat