Personal Story
Carlos Huerta is an American Soldier. In 2004, he was diagnosed with PTSD by Army doctors. In a year, the man was told to speak with others about his problem, but he refused. Five years later, Huerta’s condition worsened greatly, and he had a panic attack when got home one evening. He is not sure what triggered it but mentions that he was informing the families that their relatives will never return and saw several people die. Being a soldier, the man did not want to talk about his problem with professionals, as was afraid to be treated as genetically dysfunctional and broken (Huerta, 2012).
Experience with PTSD
Huerta started to experience critical problems only in five years after he came home. The man could not breathe and was afraid to be closed off. From the very beginning, he tried to ignore these feelings, but an opportunity that it might have been a heart attack made Huerta visit a doctor. After numerous tests, he was sent to see someone in CHMS. The first conversation was not official, but soon he realized that it is not enough and came for some psychotropic medication. Huerta had nightmares and felt guilty for telling people that their husbands, fathers, and sons were dead and for making those families suffer as well as his own one. He experienced panic attacks being at home.
Connections with Course Materials
With the help of the course materials, I was able to understand that Huerta had a panic attack just from its description. I also recognized it as one of the symptoms of PTSD as well as those nightmares about the scenes at the battlefield and conversations with the families. I also pointed out that the man’s physical condition was examined before offering him mental health services. I recognized psychotropic medication as a way to deal with anxiety. Even though the very trigger of the first panic attack was not clear, all experiences described by the man relate to possible causes. Moreover, alcohol abuse is frequent among Veterans with PTSD, and Huerta was not an exception.
Recommendations
The only treatment that is described in the case is the prescription of psychotropic medication. Still, I believe that it is just a part of it. I would recommend paying attention to the day-to-day activities. Even exercising, established routine and healthy food can reduce the level of stress. It will be beneficial if Huerta asks for help from family and friends, as they are also worried and willing to improve relations. It would be great if he joins some support group to communicate with people who have the same problem and know how to cope with it. It is critical to be honest with oneself and to accept the problem. Huerta should spend more time with his children to receive more positive feelings. Still, he should also express negative ones (Post-traumatic stress disorder, n.d.)
Conclusion
From this case, I found out that soldiers may start to suffer from PTSD even in several years after the war ends because they still have traumatic experiences. I understood that they fail so see the sense of living after coming home and are afraid of getting closer to their families and being broken. I realized that the main issue they face is admitting the existence the problem and necessity of professional treatment. If I had an opportunity to interview Huerta, I would ask if he experienced flashbacks when being outdoors, if he felt depressed, if he fails to remember some events and if he tends to be engaged in dangerous behaviors now.
References
Huerta, C. (2012). Leaving the battlefield: Soldier shares story of PTSD. Web.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and war-related stress. (n.d). Web.