Many soldiers, who return from war, whether over 60 years ago during the second world war or recently from the war in Iraq, return with the psychological disorder known as PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).
A veteran might return with PTSD if he or she has experienced a traumatic event and who has not sufficiently healed from that life-threatening experience. An experience that is considered traumatic is one that threatens the injury, death, or physical integrity, and is usually accompanied by terror and helplessness. A traumatic event could certainly be a wartime experience, as well as the death of a friend or family member, sexual or physical abuse, an automobile accident, domestic violence, school violence, the effects of natural disasters, and acts of terrorism.
The typical symptoms of PTSD include anxiety, extreme emotional fluctuation, flashbacks, loneliness, anger, irritability, bad dreams, and frightening thoughts. An individual might also exhibit symptoms of avoidance, such as staying away from certain places to avoid reliving the traumatic experience or forgetting the experience entirely, such as having partial or full amnesia.
In addition to the symptoms just mentioned, one’s beliefs about life and the way the world is ordered can change instantly. A trust in life prior to trauma can easily turn into distrust of other people, circumstances, and even oneself. This can be especially true if trauma repeats itself, such as witnessing death in war or ongoing sexual abuse by a family member. Repeated trauma can cause a worsening of anxiety, feeling a constant high level of alert and paranoia.
There are two major categories of individuals who might experience a series of traumatic events: children and veterans. According to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, about 11-20% of veterans in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars returned with PTSD. About 10% of veterans in the Gulf War developed PTSD, and about 30% of Vietnam Veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD.
Treating PTSD effectively includes both psychotherapy and medication. However, recently, service and therapy dogs are being used more and more by PTSD treatment centers, including the United States Department of Veteran Affairs. In fact, the Service Dogs for Veterans Act of 2009 provided 200 service dogs to veterans with physical and psychiatric disabilities for a pilot study to determine efficiency and therapeutic benefits.
The affection and care that dogs offer can help minimize the stress that PTSD veterans experience. Someone living with PTSD is often overwhelmed by external stimuli. Parts of the brain like the amygdala and hippocampus, regions of the brain that manage fear and memory, function differently in those with PTSD. However, that overactive fear response can change over time with the right treatment.
Although treatment for PTSD often includes medication and talk therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the use of animals has become more and more popular, not only with PTSD patients, but also with those who have mental illnesses. Therapy dogs can provide comfort during difficult times when the fear response in a PTSD brain is stimulated. Of course, along with comfort, therapy dogs aid in restoring self-care and recovery from PTSD.