A Brief Note On The Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition caused by experiencing or seeing a terrifying event. It has been known to affect mostly war veterans but has also affected people who are not veterans. Rape victims and people who have suffered severe abuse have also been diagnosed with PTSD. In most cases, veterans have a higher percentage than others.

Post Traumatic Disorder (Injury) can strike anyone who has experienced a life-threatening trauma. Every victim who suffers from this mental injury is fighting an unrelenting battle for control of his or her mind and soul.

With the recent release of the popular movie and book American Sniper, much attention has been drawn to the effects of the disease of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on its victims. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a mental illness from going through a traumatic experience, is more prevalent in veterans and men currently serving in the military, and it is important that effective treatment be sought.

The aftermath of war not only has long term effects on the men and women who served or currently serve in the military, but their families and social institutions as well. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a very serious illness, and if left undiagnosed and untreated can result in serious life-threatening effects to include death.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, this develops after a person has suffered a traumatic incident. Incidences can be caused by any type of event, triggering PTSD by personally experience a trauma (near death experience), being a witness to a trauma (vehicle accident) and those having to deal with the aftermath of a trauma (EMT, Police). These are just a few examples. PTSD can be rated in 3 Phases, 1) Acute Phase: if symptoms last less than 3 months. 2) Chronic Phase: if symptoms last more than 3 months. 3) Delayed-Onset: if the symptoms last 6 months after the trauma. An episodic attack (flashback) can last a couple of seconds, to as long as 30 minutes. This is caused when a person feels threatened and feeling helpless in a place of unknown environment.

PTSD can affect people in different ways due to the circumstance they went through, for example, “a young woman gets mugged and hit over the head with a pipe. Years later, she is still afraid to go out at night by herself. She has trouble making friends and she is slow to trust people. She has gotten several warnings at work for missing days; sometimes she just can’t seem to get out of bed. A former soldier, when he finally sleeps, finds himself back on the dusty roads of Afghanistan. He awakes in a panic and struggles futilely to return to sleep. Days are hardly better. The rumble of garbage trucks shatters his nerves. Flashbacks come unexpectedly, at the whiff of certain cleaning chemicals. He is imprisoned in his own mind” (Brainline,

In addition to the effects on the brain as well as the effects on the family, PTSD can also have physical effects on the body. The correlation between stress and poor health has been a proven study, so it isn’t unlikely that someone who suffers from PTSD would as well suffer from bodily afflictions. The most common ailments of PTSD sufferers include; high blood pressure, sleep deprivation, heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disease, chronic headaches, and migraines. These debilities accompany

People with PTSD often have anger issues and emotional problems. It is likely for them to have thoughts of suicide and feel completely disconnected from their lives and from other people. They have lived through a drastic trauma that is hard to overcome and go on with their lives. PTSD effects everyday interactions and feelings. Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder affects the daily lives of the people suffering from it. Some may need accommodations at work depending on their personal severance of the disorder. People with PTSD miss more days at work and work less efficiently than people without PTSD (PTSD Effects.) Certain symptoms of PTSD, such as difficulties concentrating and problems sleeping may make it difficult for a person with PTSD to pay attention at work, stay organized, or make it to work on time. People with PTSD also have higher rates of unemployment than people without PTSD. (Military)

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following an experience or witnessing a life threatening event, military personnel, people who have gone through a natural disaster or been through a sexual assault. Post-traumatic stress disorder affects many military personnel lifetime occurrence in combat

Who can be affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? Anyone including children. Soldiers are affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Soldiers are more affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to The United States Department of Veterans Affairs 11% of soldiers have been affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. About 20% of all adults have suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at some point in their life's. About 15% girls and 6% boys

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis that was associated with survivors of war when it was first introduced. Its diagnosis was met largely with skepticism and dismissal by the public of the validity of the illness. PTSD was only widely accepted when it was included as a diagnosis in 1980 in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) of the American Psychiatric Association. PTSD is a complex mental disorder that develops in response to exposure to a severe traumatic event that stems a cluster of symptoms. Being afflicted with the disorder is debilitating, disrupting an individual’s ability to function and perform the most basic tasks.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is where a person has residual mental and physical effects from witnessing an extremely traumatic experience. Some examples of this are getting into a massive car crash, being sexually assaulted or being in a combat zone and

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that occurs after one has been exposed to a traumatic event. Within the article, “Facts About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”, the number of war veterans who suffer from PTSD is introduced in the second sub-section as “about 30% of men and women who have spent time in war zones experience PTSD” (Facts about PTSD). This quote goes to show the vast amount of war veterans whose lives are affected by this condition. PTSD does not only occur in war veterans it can also occur in someone who has been through a traumatic event where physical harm occurred or was threatened. These cases include sexual assault, childhood neglect, physical attack or being threatened with a weapon. When someone is in danger they produce high levels of opiates which can help temporarily mask pain. People who have PTSD continue to produce these higher levels of opiates even after the threat they are facing is gone. This can lead to emotional numbness and outburst of anger. In addition to these things people usually experience depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation which only makes coping

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)", Retrieved May 27, 2013, from the WebMD Website: HYPERLINK "http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd" http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a widespread disorder that affects certain individuals psychologically, behaviorally, and emotionally following the experience of a traumatic event (Lee et al., 2005, p. 135). However, because of inconsistencies regarding the percentage of individuals who experience PTSD and the percentage of individuals who subsequently develop PTSD, researchers hypothesize that both biological and environmental factors contribute to the development of PTSD (Wolf et al. 2010, p. 328). In order gain a better understanding of this disorder and to discover contributing and predicative factors which contribute to the development of PTSD, this paper analyses the historical context and prevalence of PTSD, the