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Ptsd and Alcoholism

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Ptsd and Alcoholism
Proposal: Qualitative Research The Impacts of PTSD and Alcoholism and Treatment Options among Gulf War Veterans GRAD 716 Sullivan University Brent Casey January 21, 2011

The Impacts of PTSD and Alcoholism and Treatment Options among Gulf War Veterans Introduction The purpose of this paper is to investigate and analyze the lived experiences of Gulf War veterans who are in treatment or recovering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and alcoholism. Approximately 697,000 U.S. veterans served in the Persian Gulf War, and more than 263,000 have since sought medical care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (National Gulf War Resource Center, Inc., http://www.ngwrc.org/*, 2002). Over 185,000 Gulf War veterans have filed claims with the Veterans Administration for service-related medical disabilities, including significant physical and psychological distress that they attribute to their participation in the operation. Perhaps the most unusual consequence of serving in the Persian Gulf is Gulf War Illness. According to Hendrix & Anelli (1993) a greater understanding of the long-term effects of war service on veterans and their families is needed due to U.S. forces recently serving in hostile environments. As with most combat experiences, there are numerous psychological difficulties related to participation in the Gulf War. According to the Veterans Administration va.gov website, depressed mood, anxiety, and related psychological symptoms (e.g., sleep difficulties, concentration problems) are quite common among GW veterans, and deployed GW veterans have more symptoms of depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse than non-deployed GW veterans (Iowa Persian Gulf Study Group, 1997). Problem Statement This research proposes to examine and analyze the impacts of PTSD and alcoholism among Gulf War veterans recovering from these comorbidities. The research additionally proposes to investigate and


References: Enserink, M. (2003). War in Iraq. Bracing for Gulf War syndrome II. Science (New York, N.Y.), 299(5615), 1966-1967 Flavin, D. K., & Morse, R. M. (1991). What is alcoholism?. Alcohol Health & Research World, 15(4), 266 Ford, J. D., Russo, E. M., & Mallon, S. D. (2007). Integrating Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorder Southwick, S. M.,Gilmartin, R., McDonough P., Morrissey, P. (2006). Logotherapy As An Adjunctive Treatment for Chronic Combat-related PTSD: A Meaning Based Intervention American Journal of Psychotherapy, 2006, Vol. 60 Issue 2, p161-174, 14p. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Yarvis, J. S., & Schiess, L. (2008). Subthreshold Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a Predictor of Depression, Alcohol Use, and Health Problems in Veterans
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