The Case for Recognizing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a Purple Heart Injury

The Case for Recognizing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a Purple Heart Injury Receiving a Purple Heart in recognition of a veteran’s bravery and sacrifice is a cherished honor among military families. Traditionally given out by the Pentagon in the name of the sitting president, Purple Hearts formally recognize the physical injuries and sacrifices an individual endures in combat, including death. But not all of the most disfiguring injuries our veterans experience during their service are physical, and the lasting effects of mental health disorders originating in combat are sorely underestimated and often ignored. If severe cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are capable of destroying someone’s ability to live a normal, healthy civilian life, why aren’t veterans with this condition considered for Purple Heart awards? One reason may be a poor understanding of what trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder are and how they function. Trauma refers to an event that an individual perceives to be a serious threat to his/her life coupled with an intense feeling of being helpless to protect him/herself or prevent the threat from occurring. Post-traumatic stress disorder sets in as the brain develops new, often unhealthy responses to stimuli in an effort to prevent the trauma from recurring. In the context of active duty personnel, trauma is the experience of being shot at, seeing a friend killed in combat, or running over an IED (improvised explosive device) and wi...
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