Laure Ingabire

English 1102
14 March 2014

Purpose

Essentially, I am observing and evaluating the direct and indirect result of post-traumatic
stress disorder after a traumatic event. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after a
terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who
develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a
loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or
strangers. PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result
from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held
captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters
such as floods or earthquakes. Posttraumatic stress disorder is classified as an anxiety disorder;
the characteristic symptoms are not present before exposure to the violently traumatic event. In
the typical case, the individual with PTSD persistently avoids all thoughts and emotions, and
discussion of the stressor event and may experience amnesia for it. However, the individual
through intrusive, recurrent recollections, flashbacks, and nightmares commonly relives the
event.
September 11, 2001
The events on September 11
th
impacted not only New York, but it affected all civilians
globally. The terrorist attacks brought on a wave of fear throughout the world; the events of 9/11
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:01 AM
Comment [1]: uoou use of examples
thioughout the papei.
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:05 AM
Comment [2]: Auu peisonal touch to the
intiouuction, ieason why you'ie inteiesteu
in this topic
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:05 AM
Comment [3]: REB0 F0RNATTINu
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:06 AM
Comment [4]: BEFINTI0NS SECTI0N-
anxtiey uisoiuei, PTSB
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:14 AM
Comment [5]: TITLE PAuEEEEE
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:02 AM
Comment [6]: uoou uefinition of PTSB
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:02 AM
Comment [7]: u00B INTR0,
INTERESTINu
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:02 AM
Comment [8R7]:
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:16 AM
Comment [9]: C0NSIBER staiting off the
intiouuction with a stoiy
still hold significance in our hearts and minds. I can still remember that day. I was in 1
st
grade at
the time, and my school let out early. When I got home, my mom had the television on and every
single channel broadcasted the trauma in New York. On every news station, one could see
images of horror and fear among those directly affected at the site. There was debris on every
inch of the city- fallen buildings, damaged cars, broken glass. That tragic day effected the world
on a global scale- it changed our economy, national security and overall morale. By broadcasting
the events on social media, allowing people to stay tuned on what was happening, it kept the
memory fresh in everyones mind. Many people suffered through PTSD after the tragic events
that day. In a CNN news article, reporter Anemona Hartocollis interviews a woman by the name
of Margaret Dessau about the traumatic effects of 9/11. She tries to keep a level head about it,
when describing the day, but ends up breaking down in tears. After that treacherous day, Dessau
had to cope with what she saw through intensive counseling. Her therapist suggests that she
listens to video recordings of her explaining in detail the events that occurred that day- the
people she saw, the building debris, the crying children. The purpose of this was that she could
finally come to terms with what happened in New York, and finally be able to truly deal with it
as opposed to suppressing the feelings she had for it. She told the reporter that she had frequent
nightmares, trouble concentrating, and feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and guiltiness over
the events that day. She felt as though she could have done more to help (Hartocollis, Anemona).

Shootings
On September 16, 2013, lone gunman Aaron Alexis fatally shot twelve people and
injured three others in a mass shooting at the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems
Command inside the Washington Navy Yard in Southeast Washington, D.C. The attack, which
took place in the Navy Yard's Building 197, began around 8:20 a.m and ended when Alexis was
killed by police around 9:20 a.m. It was the second-deadliest mass murder on a U.S. military
base, behind only the Fort Hood shooting in November 2009 (The Navy Yard Shooting and
Mental Health). Aaron Alexis was under the delusional belief that he was being controlled or
influenced by extremely low frequency electromagnetic waves before he embarked on a bloody
shooting rampage at the Washington Navy Yard, an FBI official said Wednesday. The 34-year-
old contractor, who until a few years ago had served in the Navy, spelled out this belief with
the words, My ELF weapon in the sawed-off Remington 870 shotgun he brought into the
military facilitys Building #197 on the morning of September 16.
There were twelve victims of this tragic day; Michael Arnold, 59, of Lorton, Virginia,
had a cold Monday, and his wife called to check on him when she heard an alarm in the
background. He said he'd call her back, Arnold's mother told CNN affiliate WDIV. He never had
the chance. Arnold -- a veteran of 29 years and avid pilot -- was building his own plane that he
hoped to fly to Michigan, where his mother, Patricia, lives, before he turned 60, the station said.
He had two master's degrees from the University of Washington and worked designing ships at
the Navy Yard, WDIV reported. Kathy Gaarde, 62, of Woodbridge, Virginia, took care of her
94-year-old mother until she died last year, said Douglass Gaarde, her husband of 38 years. She
also loved animals and counted bluebirds for a local refuge. A Chicago native, Gaarde graduated
from Florida State University before moving to Washington 38 years ago, where she has been a
longtime Washington Capitals season ticket holder. John Roger Johnson, 73, of Derwood,
Maryland, was an avid fisherman and Redskins fan, CNN affiliate WJLA reported. His wife
described him as an awesome human being. "He always said, 'Goodbye beautiful, I love you so
much,'" said Judy Johnson, according to WJLA. "I was very lucky, and very blessed to find the
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:10 AM
Comment [10]: Nention I'm just talking
about a few victims
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:14 AM
Comment [11]: AWK
human being that I found in him."Her husband "always had a smile on his face," one of his
neighbors told The Washington Post, adding that Johnson had lived in the neighborhood for
more than 30 years. A civilian who worked for the Navy, Johnson was described as a "smart
man." "He loved children. He loved our grandchildren. No one could ask for a better neighbor,"
the neighbor told the newspaper. Arthur Daniels, 51, of southeast Washington, D.C., was
married to Priscilla Daniels for 30 years. They had five children and nine grandchildren,
according to WTTG-TV. He worked at the Navy Yard as a handyman for 17 years and was on
the fourth floor of Building 197 when the shooting began, his wife said. Daniels loved his
family, cooking and dancing to James Brown, WJLA said. It was the second time a shooting
tragedy took a family member from the Daniels. Daniels' teenage son had lost his life in a similar
way, The Washington Post reported. He was shot in the back while running from a gunman. It
happened four years ago, when their 14-year-old son was walking home from the Metro, the
newspaper reported ("Who Were the Victims of the Navy Yard Shooting?").
.
The shooting obviously directly effected many people of the town in Washington DC, but
this tragedy also indirectly effected millions by multimedia sources. Power of technology
allowed for this story to cross the globe and inform the nation on this terrible event.







Annotated Bibliography

Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:05 AM
Comment [12]: Neeus a so what section.
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:08 AM
Comment [13]: Nention how the topics
aie both in global, local, anu national aieas.
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:12 AM
Comment [14]: PTSB aiising fiom the
fiist aiu inuustiy auvancements.
Hartocollis, Anemona. "10 Years and a Diagnosis Later, 9/11 Demons Haunt Thousands." The New
York Times. The New York Times, 09 Aug. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.

In this CNN news article, reporter Anemona Hartocollis interviews a woman by the name of
Margaret Dessau about the traumatic effects of 9/11. She tries to keep a level head about it, when
describing the day, but ends up breaking down in tears. After that treacherous day, Dessau had to
cope with what she saw through intensive counseling. Her therapist suggests that she listens to
video recordings of her explaining in detail the events that occurred that day- the people she saw,
the building debris, the crying children. The purpose of this was that she could finally come to
terms with what happened in New York, and finally be able to truly deal with it as opposed to
suppressing the feelings she had for it. She told the reporter that she had frequent nightmares,
trouble concentrating, and feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and guiltiness over the events
that day. She felt as though she could have done more to help.

Marcus, Erin. "PTSD Manifests Differently in Haitian Paitients, Says Researcher." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 May 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.

Even four months after the Haitian earthquake, psychologists from around the world have been
traveling to the island, trying to help the civilians still in shock and at risk for posttraumatic
stress disorder. The purpose of this article shows that there is obvious PTSD signs and symptoms
among those living in Haiti and surrounding islands, explaining that the PTSD is affecting
people both directly and indirectly. The psychologist that traveled to the island tries performing
treatments on the victims to best help them. Standard PTSD treatment in the US often involved
therapies in which people recreate the memory of the traumatic event in steps of reorganize how
they think about the past event, in order to help them learn ways of relaxation and coping. The
psychologists tried these methods and are stilling waiting to see if they have a positive lasting
effect.


"The Navy Yard Shooting and Mental Health." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.

This article had a video that I chose to focus on; in an interview with Anderson Cooper, reporter
brings up the idea that one should stop using the idea of posttraumatic stress disorder in relation
to the Navy Yard shooting; his opposition during the conference Dr. Drew says that it was a
psychological disorder that was to blame for the shooting. The man was traumatized during 9/11,
then causing PTSD, and after years and years of psychological wearing and breaking down, he
snapped and it resulted in the fatal day at the Navy Yard. The media plays a part in this for the
two different perspectives of the conference are being displayed to the world to see. Anderson
Cooper makes a point to say that society pegs those with PTSD as crazy, and that there is an
unfailing stigma attached to it.
Laure Ingabire 3/21/14 10:03 AM
Comment [15]: Fix bibliogiaphy

"The Navy Yard Shootings and PTSD." Anderson Cooper 360 RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.

The topic of PTSD and psychological harmful effects after a traumatic experience is being talked
about during this conference call on Anderson Cooper 360. One of the commentators talked
about his mother having PTSD and how many confused/interpreted it for a chronic psychological
issue. His mother was then taken away and sent to a mental facility. He and his other siblings,
seeing his mother taken away and having society treat her as if she was insane, faced a lot of
grief and public ridicule for this. He was indirectly effected by PTSD but how it effected him
was significant.

Sanche, Ray. "Haunted by the Newtown Massacre, Police Officer Faces Firing over PTSD." CNN.
Cable News Network, 12 Nov. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.

This article is about a police officer diagnosed with PTSD after the Newtown shootings is on the
verge of losing his job. Office Thomas Bean was one of the first officers to respond to the
December 2012 shooting that left 26 dead, including 20 children. He told the interviewer that he
has contemplated cutting himself with a razor, continues to have flashbacks, and is often left
crying some nights by the memories of the bloodshed. The police officer described the event at
something that you had to see to be able to understand, though he hoped no one ever had the
chance to do. He said, the worst possible scenes you could think offbecause all there was,
was horror. He repeated to the interviewer that that dreadful day killed him inside and there
would be no full recovery after the things he saw that day. His PTSD effects both him directly,
and his family indirectly- if he loses his job, which his department continues to threaten him
about, if could change the future outcome of his and his familys life.

Winsor, Morgan. "Newtown Police Chief Withdraws Request to Fire Officer with PTSD." CNN. Cable
News Network, 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.


This article is about a police officer diagnosed with PTSD after the Newtown shootings is on the
verge of losing his job. Office Thomas Bean was one of the first officers to respond to the
December 2012 shooting that left 26 dead, including 20 children. He told the interviewer that he
has contemplated cutting himself with a razor, continues to have flashbacks, and is often left
crying some nights by the memories of the bloodshed. The police officer described the event at
something that you had to see to be able to understand, though he hoped no one ever had the
chance to do. He said, the worst possible scenes you could think offbecause all there was,
was horror. He repeated to the interviewer that that dreadful day killed him inside and there
would be no full recovery after the things he saw that day. His PTSD affects both him directly
and his family indirectly- if he loses his job, which his department continues to threaten him
about, if could change the future outcome of his and his familys life.
Melissa Healy December 9. "Can You Get PTSD from Watching Media Coverage of an Event?
Maybe." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 09 Dec. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.

The idea of post-traumatic stress disorder has been around for over 30 years, according to this
text, but it had not been brought to the attention to the world until after 9/11. PTSD is very
controversial, but new research suggests that PTSD might be transmitted through media. The
study finds that those who spent more than six hours a day watching media coverage of the
Boston Marathon bombing and its aftermath suffered more powerful stress reactions than did
people who were directly involved but watched less news coverage.

Flows, Capital. "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Media Hype V. Truth Archetype On Veteran's
Day." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 10 Nov. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.

This article talks about the societal view on post-traumatic stress disorder and its affect on
veterans. The article talks about the importance of understanding that the mental health condition
and its impact on veterans has become increasingly difficult. Media reports link PTSD to recent
shootings and other incidents of violence with little to no basis of fact to support these claims.
The way PTSD is talked about differs between each mode of communication, for example,
journalists have a responsibility to report the news and spur high ratings, but psychological
professionals have a duty to defuse the hype and give the community the truth about PTSD.
According to the text, the public needs to understand the individuals who separate or retire from
the military and return to civilian life exchange one social structure for another- a structured
culture for an unstructured one, a military culture for a civilian culture. Veterans are faced with
learning to adapt to a change in culture and the passage of starting a new beginning in life and
work.

"Former 9/11 Airline Dispatcher Now Stricken with PTSD Fights for Health Benefits from 9/11 Victims
Compensation Fund." PRWeb. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.

This article talks about a 911 dispatcher fighting for appropriate compensation for his PTSD.
There is a national law firm called Parker Waichman LLP that has spent many years working to
ensure the heroes of 9/11 are not forgotten, and one example of this is by representing a former
airline dispatcher in his fight to receive health benefits form the 9/11 Victims Compensation
Funds. Michael Winter, who has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder since helping to
guide hundreds of airline flights to safety on 9/11 just wants to compensation for his endured
trauma. Mr. Winter told CBS News that he became depressed and withdrawn after the ordeal. As
a result, he left his job as an airline dispatcher in 2007 and moved to Florida hoping for a fresh
start. In 2010, however, Mr. Winter suffered a severe psychological reaction while viewing a
film depicting the events that occurred on United Flight 93. Since then, three different doctors
have diagnosed Mr. Winter with PTSD. Unable to work, or even "function on a reasonable,
human level," Mr. Winter has applied to the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund for health benefits
so that he can finally afford the therapy he so desperately needs. So far, however, the Fund has
denied Mr. Winter's pleas for help, maintaining that benefits are only available to "... responders
on site at specified locations related to the World Trade Center disaster, or at the site of the ...
crashes...," according to CBS News.


"911 Dispatchers Suffer PTSD Symptoms From Indirect Exposure to Traumatic Events." EHS Today
Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.

This article talks about the job and obligation of a 911 dispatcher. 911 dispatchers have to deal
with lot- homicides, suicides, domestic violence, car crashes, and more. Dispatchers report
significant emotional distress related to handling duty-related calls, and this type of distress is
associated with increases risk for developing PTSD. Michelle Lilly, psychology professor at NIU
conducted research that showed the extent of on-duty emotional distress experiences by
dispatchers. The study that Lilly conducted suggests that one does not need to be physically
present during a traumatic event, or even know the victim of a trauma, in order for the event to
cause significant mental health issues. According to the article, dispatchers experience emotional
crisis and are hysterical, but dispatchers must also control their emotions while receiving all the
information from the caller, securing the emergency scene and communicating with multiple
agencies- sometimes during life-and-death situations.