Postdeployment PTSD and Addictive Combat Attachment Behaviors in U.S. Military Service Members
Discussion And Case Series
Clinical Case Series.
Item | N | % |
---|---|---|
1a. Repeated exciting memories, thoughts, or images of combat | 59 | 92.2 |
2a. Repeated exciting dreams involving combat | 33 | 51.6 |
3a. Suddenly acting or feeling as if a positive/exciting combat experience were happening again (as if you were reliving it) | 36 | 56.2 |
4a. Feeling excited when something reminded you of a combat event | 50 | 78.1 |
5a. Feeling “a rush” of physical reactions (e.g., heart pounding) when something reminded you of a positive/exciting combat event | 49 | 76.6 |
6a. Deliberately thinking or talking about positive/exciting combat experiences | 47 | 73.4 |
7a. Seeking out activities or situations because they reminded you of positive/exciting combat experiences | 27 | 42.2 |
8a. Remembering exciting combat events in especially vivid detail | 42 | 65.6 |
1b. Repeated distressing memories, thoughts, or images of a stressful combat experience | 57 | 89.1 |
2b. Repeated disturbing dreams of a stressful combat experience | 44 | 68.7 |
3b. Suddenly acting or feeling as if a stressful combat experience were happening again (as if you were reliving it) | 41 | 64.1 |
4b. Feeling very upset when something reminded you of a stressful combat experience | 46 | 71.9 |
5b. Having distressing physical reactions (e.g., heart pounding, trouble breathing, sweating) when something reminded you of a stressful combat experience | 51 | 79.7 |
6b. Avoiding thinking or talking about a stressful combat experience | 51 | 79.7 |
7b. Avoiding activities or situations because they reminded you of a stressful combat experience | 38 | 59.4 |
8b. Trouble remembering important parts of a stressful combat experience | 43 | 67.2 |
Mean | SD | |
Sum of raw scores for items 1a–8a (score range, 8–40) | 25.3 | 6.7 |
Sum of raw scores for items 1b–8b (score range, 8–40) | 26.4 | 6.3 |
Hours per Day | |||
---|---|---|---|
Item | Percent Endorsing | Mean | SD |
Page 1b | |||
1. Daydreaming or thinking about combat when bored or when performing routine, everyday activities (daily chores, waiting for appointments, boring tasks at work) | 100.0 | 2.6 | 1.5 |
2. Thinking about combat while driving | 98.1 | 1.6 | 1.2 |
3. Talking with combat veterans about deployments | 100.0 | 2.4 | 1.9 |
4. Going through your own combat photos/videos, or those online (Facebook or YouTube) | 90.4 | 1.6 | 1.0 |
5. Playing combat-related video games (Call of Duty, Battlefield, etc.) | 55.8 | 2.5 | 1.2 |
6. Watching war movies, combat-related TV shows, or reading books about war | 92.3 | 2.4 | 1.3 |
7. Cleaning or operating weapons, going to the shooting range, or hunting | 61.5 | 2.6 | 1.7 |
“When you add up the amount of time that you spend in each activity above, items 1–7”: | |||
About how much total time did you spend on an average day during the week reexperiencing the adrenaline “rush” and exciting/positive feelings associated with combat? | 100.0 | 5.5 | 3.2 |
About how much total time did you spend on an average day on the weekend reexperiencing the adrenaline “rush” and exciting/positive feelings associated with combat? | 100.0 | 4.8 | 3.3 |
Page 2c | |||
For a typical day that you had distressing experiences, about how much total time did you spend on an average day reexperiencing distressing physical reactions and distressing thoughts/images/memories of combat? | 100.0 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
Endorsed at “Moderately” or Above | Endorsed at “Quite a Bit” or Above | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Item and Summary | N | % | N | % |
Items | ||||
1. Difficulties fulfilling obligations in your career/occupation/schoolwork (e.g., missing days, being late, not motivated, concentration problems, not completing tasks) | 38 | 71.7 | 26 | 49.1 |
2. Difficulty fulfilling obligations in your family/home life (e.g., conflict with family members, irritability or neglect of spouse/children, withdrawal) | 39 | 73.6 | 28 | 52.8 |
3. Continuing to engage in exciting/positive combat-related activities despite negative consequences (e.g., arguments, mood swings, isolation) | 43 | 82.7 | 31 | 59.6 |
4. Having to spend more time or increase the intensity (up the ante) of exciting/positive combat-related activities to experience the same “high” | 41 | 75.9 | 22 | 40.7 |
5. Finding that the same amount or intensity of exciting/positive combat-related activities doesn’t produce the same (desired) result | 39 | 76.5 | 20 | 39.2 |
6. Feeling restless, irritable, or depressed when unable to engage in exciting/positive combat-related activities, or when trying to cut down or stop engaging in them | 46 | 85.2 | 32 | 59.3 |
7. Finding substitutes if you couldn’t spend time engaging in exciting/positive combat-related activities (e.g., excessive working out, speeding in your vehicle, picking a fight) | 42 | 77.8 | 29 | 53.7 |
8. Trying to cut down or stop engaging in exciting/positive combat-related activities | 18 | 34.6 | 8 | 15.4 |
9. Spending a great deal of time engaged in or preoccupied with exciting/ positive combat-related activities | 37 | 69.8 | 12 | 22.6 |
10. Covering up or keeping secret the amount of time you spend engaged in exciting/positive combat-related activities | 37 | 69.8 | 28 | 52.8 |
Summary | ||||
Endorsed five or more items from items 1–10 | 47 | 88.7 | 29 | 54.7 |
Endorsed at least one physiological dependence item, either a tolerance or a withdrawal item (from items 4–7) | 53 | 98.1 | 45 | 83.3 |
Endorsed at least one tolerance and at least one withdrawal item (from items 4–7) | 44 | 81.5 | 24 | 44.4 |
Combat Attachment Phenomenology.
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