Post: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops in response to experiencing or witnessing a distressing event involving the threat of death or extreme bodily harm. Examples of traumatic events that can trigger PTSD include sexual assault , physical violence, and military combat. PTSD can also occur in the wake of a motor vehicle accident, a natural disaster (e.g., fire, earthquake, flood), a medical emergency (e.g., having an anaphylactic reaction), or any sudden, disruptive incident. PTSD has likely existed throughout human history. During World War I, it was known as “shell shock” and was first thought to affect only soldiers. PTSD was officially recognized as a mental health disorder in 1980. Researchers believe that the changes to body and mind that occur in PTSD reflect an attempt of the system to protect the person from further experiences of danger.

Anyone who has survived a deeply disturbing experience of any kind can develop PTSD symptoms. PTSD is characterized by vivid, intrusive memories of the precipitating event, hypervigilance and hyper-reactivity to possible threats, nightmares, and mood disturbances. Those suffering from PTSD often report feeling anxious or scared even in the absence of danger, as if it could strike at any time.

The condition may manifest in anxiety -like symptoms, emotional numbness or dysphoria, anger and aggression , or some combination of those states. It can feel like the normal stress response is locked into permanent overdrive, and those with PTSD often find it difficult to function normally in everyday life.

Many people experience a traumatic event at some point in their lives, although only a small proportion of them develop PTSD. In the United States, about 3.5 percent of people may have the disorder, including children. For some, the stimulus is not one distressing incident but a series of incidents occurring over a period of time, as may be the case with sexual or physical abuse during childhood . The prevalence of the disorder is higher among veterans of combat, ranging from 10 to 30 percent. About half of those with PTSD recover within three months, but for many others, […]

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder