Iraq War Veterans

Smoking and Impotence: Is There a Connection?

April 9, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Most smokers are fully aware of the negative physical repercussions of smoking too much. Impotence is now added to the list of health concerns for smokers. The inclination to buy Viagra is common for men suffering from erectile dysfunction. Whether drugs can reduce or remedy the problem for smokers remains a point of research.

The Causes of Impotence

The more commonly known causes of impotence include heart disease, diabetes, stress and high blood pressure. Men who have had pelvic surgery or who have suffered from trauma may also experience erectile dysfunction. Men dealing with impotence may also experience self-esteem issues or guilt, leading to greater performance anxiety.

The Advice to Buy Viagra

The suggestion to buy Viagra is a common one and it can work effectively for some men. Whether it’s a remedy for smokers is a question to be explored. Some research shows that the more years a man smokes, the greater his chance of experiencing impotence. When impotence is caused by smoking, common drugs are not always effective.

Smoking and Erectile Dysfunction

Researchers have found links between smoking and impotence. The complications of smoking, in general, are many. Smokers are typically aware that they are susceptible to lung cancer and a wide range of other cancers, as well as diseases of the esophagus, mouth and throat. Smoking complicates cardiovascular diseases, which lead to physiological responses that result in impotence.

Solid advice for smokers who are concerned about impotence is to quit smoking. A more vital sex life and a healthier body, in general, are worth the struggle that often accompanies the decision to stop smoking.

Filed Under: Medical Resources Tagged With: Erectile dysfunction, Health, Sildenafil

Helping Bring A Loved one Back from Deployment

March 28, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

When your loved one comes back from deployment it might be tempting to want to spend every moment with them and monopolize their time. However, this might not be the best solution for your loved one. It is important to make sure that those that return from deployment are reintegrated into the family and daily situations naturally.

Here is a look at how to integrate your loved one healthily back into the family.

Family Time. It is important to make sure that your loved one has enough time with everyone in the family. It is recommended that they get one on one time with everything from family members to close friends as this will allow them to reconnect with each other.

Interaction with Others. Try to encourage your loved one to interact with others as they come back. This can be a community event they loved to go to, church service or even with other friends they weren’t close to. This will allow them to feel as if they are a part of something.

Take Time to Learn Communication. Your loved one has had to deal with a different style of communicating during their deployment. It is important to know that they may need to re-learn how to communicate with others out of the setting. Try not to get frustrated with them if they seem to have trouble with this.

Ask if They are Okay. It is okay to ask your loved one about the war or even how they are feeling and doing back. Try not to press the issue but some members like to talk about what happened while others like to avoid it. Make sure you follow your loved one’s lead for this.

Filed Under: Family Support Tagged With: Family, MacDill Air Force Base, Military

Ways to Cope With Deployment

March 24, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Deployment is every military family’s worst fear. This will take a loved one away to a stressful situation and cause those that are around them to have to pick up the pieces. Deployment periods are filled with stress, anxiety and depression. If there are children involved this can be extremely hard.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help make the deployment a little easier. Here are some tips for those who are facing a family member leaving for deployment.

Remind Yourself They Are Safe. It is important to remind yourself that even though there are media stories all about the deaths of those overseas a large majority of those deployed are not injured or harmed.

Develop routines. It is important to start developing routines that you will stick to when your loved one is deployed. Familiar routines are viewed as comforting and can help with the transition period.

Devote Time to Fun. Many people believe that because someone they loved is deployed they shouldn’t have any fun or experience anything good. This is not the case. Try to engage in hobbies and activities that you enjoy as this can help ease the situation and emotions that are high during this time.

Talk to Each Other. In the moments before the deployment it is important that you keep talking to one another. Being able to voice your opinions, frustrations and feelings can help those in this situation learn to cope with the deployment when it actually happens.

Filed Under: Family Support Tagged With: Afghanistan, Deployment, Health

Ways You Can Help Your PTSD

March 20, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

There are many medical treatments that can be recommended for those that suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder. While these medical treatments are successful and helpful there are certain treatments and things you can do to reduce your symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Here is a look at some of the things that you can do should you suffer from PTSD. These things will help you learn to cope with your disorder.

Exercising. It is important to start exercising. This will allow you to reduce your physical tension and even offer you a way to cope with your emotions. Many people who suffer from PTSD find exercising is a great way to distract themselves from painful memories and allows t hems to have control over their lives.

Change Neighborhood. Many people who suffer from PTSD believe that the world is a scary place and something could happen to them at any point in time. If a person believes that they are living in a dangerous neighborhood it might be helpful to move to one that has less crime as it could help reduce these feelings.

Community Involvement. Many people who have PTSD find that their symptoms are lessened when they take part in their community. Community involvement is a great way to develop self-esteem and make the person who suffers from it feel as if they are a part of something important. There are many ways to get involved in the community from working with youth groups, sports teams, building homes and even working in the health services industry.

Filed Under: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Tagged With: Mental health, Physical exercise, Posttraumatic stress disorder

Keeping Veterans Out of Legal Trouble

March 16, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

More and more soldiers and veterans are coming back with posttraumatic stress disorder. One of the biggest problems about this increase in those that suffer this condition is the large amount of veterans who find themselves in legal trouble due to their posttraumatic stress disorder. To combat this problem and try to reduce the number of veterans that were in legal trouble and not getting the mental help that they need a court known as the Veterans Treatment Court was developed.

The goal of this court system is to get the veteran the treatment that they need and try to keep them out of jail as it is believed that criminal levels could be a result of mental problems that stem from serving in the armed forces.

The way that a Veteran Treatment Court works is when the veteran finds themselves in legal trouble the arresting officer will ask if they are a veteran. Once this is verified and proven the person becomes eligible to go through the Veteran Treatment Court. Only those that are accused of non-violent crimes may qualify for this type of court.

Once the decision to go through treatment court has been made the veteran will be assessed by a mental health professional that is through the VA hospital or network, and they will determine what the need of the veteran is and how to help them. The veteran will be released back into the community and the judge will routine check on them to make sure that they are progressing with treatment. Should the veteran not follow the court ordered treatment or recommended treatment by a mental health professional they will end up back in jail and going through the legal system.

Filed Under: Veteran Resources Tagged With: Posttraumatic stress disorder, Veteran, Veterans Health Administration

Relationship of Nightmares and PTSD

March 9, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

There are a lot of symptoms and problems that can occur when someone is suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. One of the most common types of symptoms that those that suffer from posttraumatic disorder have is known as nightmares.

Nightmares are dreams that depict a scary or stressful situation to the person. The body will usually react to this situation as if it were placed directly in the situation. Sometimes the nightmares will include the actual situation that is causing the trauma, other times it will only show a situation that is very similar to the trauma. In fact, research shows that half of the dreams that are from posttraumatic stress disorder were not related directly to the event but depicted a situation that was similar in many ways.

Nightmares at first glance are common and everyone will suffer from a nightmare at some point in their lives. However, those that suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder report that they experience nightmares or flashback nightmares more than the average civilian.

When surveyed only 5% of the average population report that they suffer from reoccurring nightmares. When soldiers who experienced signs and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder were polled they reported that 52% of them experienced nightmares that were related to the traumatic events that they suffered from.

In another survey that looked at those that returned from Iraq and were reporting signs of posttraumatic stress disorder showed that over 71-95% of them suffered from nightmares. In this study it looked at a link between what could cause the nightmares in some people and what might prevent them. It showed that those that had a mental disorder or anxiety disorder were twice as likely to have nightmares than those that did not have one.

Filed Under: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Tagged With: Iraq, Mental health, Posttraumatic stress disorder

Treatments for PTSD

March 7, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Since posttraumatic stress disorder is a psychological disorder and not a physical one the treatments for it can be difficult. Many people who are suffering from the disorder will refuse to admit that they have a problem or will experience problems when they have to tackle their issues and emotions directly related to the traumatic event. Even though it might be hard to handle it is important to seek treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder as it can help those that are suffering from it and help you get back to your daily routine.

Here is a look at some of the treatments that are available for those that suffer from PTSD.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is believed to be the most successful and best treatment for those that are suffering from PTSD. As there are different types of cognitive behavioral therapy the treatment routine can be customize to fit the person and experience. Therapy can include exposure therapy which gradually causes the person who suffers from PTSD to be exposed slowly to the events and situations that cause the disorder.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This type of treatment has recently been used to help those with PTSD. It is believed that those that suffer from the disorder are experiencing rapid sensitization to the eyes. By desensitizing the eye it can help the brain process events in a normal way instead of in an extremely heightened emotion.

Prescription Drugs. Another successful treatment of PTSD has been the use of anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications. These medications allow the person to be able to start to lead a normal life. In many cases prescription drugs helped those that experienced PTSD and depression or severe cases of anxiety.

Filed Under: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Tagged With: Cognitive behavioral therapy, Posttraumatic stress disorder, Psychological trauma

PTSD in Children With Parents at War

February 23, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

There is a lot of focus in the media and the medical profession on how the war and deployment might affect soldiers and the community. However, there is not a lot of focus on the youngest victims of the war and deployment, the children.

It might be hard to believe but children who have parents who go off to war will often exhibit signs of posttraumatic stress disorder. While the soldier’s posttraumatic stress disorder is brought about from traumatic events that happen during war or while away at war, the child’s traumatic event is that of the parent going away and leaving them for six to 18 months.

When children suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder the symptoms can often times be the same as adults. They might avoid talking about their parent who is away on deployment, they might avoid any talk of the war or they might act as if the parent is just away at the store. In younger children the symptoms can range from temper tantrums to starting to wet the bed at night. Children that are in middle school or elementary school will often start to act out in class or make up problems in an effort to get attention from another parent or the teachers.

The symptoms that the child suffers from are directly related to their age and experiences that they have had in life. The older the child the more the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder are similar to those of adults and less like children’s. Despite the fact that there are many different symptoms all children no matter what their age will experience feelings of anxiety, depression and extreme stress. It is important to notice the signs and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in children so that they can get the help that they need to cope with the events.

Filed Under: Family Support Tagged With: Anxiety, Child, Mental health, Posttraumatic stress disorder, Psychological trauma

Two More Symptom Categories of PSTD

February 10, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

The symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder are usually separated into four separate groups. These symptoms can include re-living the event or avoiding situations that are similar to the event. However, there are two other symptoms that are part of the disorder that deal more with the physical and emotional aspect of suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.

Here is a closer look at the two other symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. These include the feelings of numbness and the feelings of keyed up energy or emotions.

The first of these two symptoms of the disorder is known as the feeling of numbness. Many people who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder will find it extremely hard to voice their emotions or feelings. When they are asked to talk about the event or situation surrounding the event they will often answer with complete silence. This is believed by medical experts to be a way to avoid the memories completely. Common examples of this category of symptoms includes not being able to recall any of the event, not being able to voice what happened, not showing interest in hobbies or activities, and trying to stray away from any type of relationship or feelings of love and happiness.

The second of these two symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder are considered feelings of being keyed or pent up. The medical term for this is known as hyperarousal. Many people who experience symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder will often start to feel jittery or on constant watch for danger to happen to them. It is almost as if the person is preparing themselves to experience the traumatic event again and this time the event occurs they will be prepared and ready to control the conditions. This type of situation will cause the person to have extreme mood changes, insomnia, lack of concentration, fearing for their or others safety and having extreme reactions when someone startles the person.

Filed Under: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Tagged With: Health, Iraq War, Physical exercise, Posttraumatic stress disorder