From the lips of one Susan Pease Banitt, “PTSD is a whole-body tragedy, an integral human event of enormous proportions with massive repercussions.” Posttraumatic stress disorder is a serious mental disorder that is no respecter of persons. PTSD affects, not only the person involved, but also the people who are closely connected to said person. The symptoms related to posttraumatic stress disorder can vary depending on the severity of the traumatic event and how the sufferer was involved. There are many options available to help treat most symptoms of PTSD, according to the sufferer’s needs and harshness of the person’s symptoms. Though there are many causes and symptoms associated with PTSD, there are also many effective and pending …show more content…
For example, previous psychological problems or a family history of anxiety disorders may increase an individual’s chance of developing PTSD after he or she experiences a trauma… however, this disorder can develop in individuals without any predisposing conditions, particularly if the stressor is especially extreme (56).
Many different situations can make a person more vulnerable to PTSD. Antisocial personality disorder, among other disorders, can influence PTSD in one’s life. More common disorders, such as depression or anxiety, can also result in PTSD after experiencing a traumatic event. Not only disorders associated with the sufferer him/herself, but also a family history of PTSD, psychological problems, or being sensitive to trauma can lead to a higher chance of developing posttraumatic stress disorder. There are many symptoms that correlate with posttraumatic stress disorder. PTSD sufferers may experience flashbacks, nightmares, hallucinations, anxiety, or panic attacks, amongst other symptoms (Bayer 52). Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder tend to focus more around the traumatic event itself. The three main types of symptoms include hyperarousal, re-experiencing or intrusion, and avoidance or emotional numbing. They tend to be contentious, easily startled, and overly vigilant. They have trouble sleeping and concentrating; they mentally relive the event unwillingly through flashbacks, nightmares, and realistic memories, as if it’s happening all
A traumatic event affects many people in various ways. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a globally recognized disorder that is common among persons who have experienced traumatic events, but is also known as a normal response by normal persons in abnormal situations. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder can be caused by a multitude of reasons, not just from traumatic events. People with various personality traits can be associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. People who suffer from poor health can also be associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. People who suffer various life occurrences such as rape, natural disasters,
Several different factors can contribute to how a person responds to a traumatic stressor and scientist and theoreticians have found other factors can determine individuals who are more likely to develop PTSD when exposed to a catastrophic event. These factors can include their past exposure to trauma, their mental health history, their families’ history of psychological problem, age, gender, biological makeup, social network, as well accessibility to mental health treatment facilities.
Most of the time the victim “experiences intense fear, helplessness, and/or horror following the traumatic event or accident.” If the event was a near death experience, caused a serious injury, and/ or the witnessing of someone else going through that can cause these symptoms. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder “involves re-experiencing, avoidance, and arousal.” Re-experiencing is when you feel like the event is happening again. Just a simple sound, smell, or sight can bring on the re-experiencing. Avoidance is when you avoid “thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the event.” Also many people will avoid place that remind them of the event. Arousal is when you have trouble sleeping, sudden anger burst, struggling with focusing on the task at hand, an being startled easily. These symptoms can cause “distress and impairment in social areas of functioning.” Sometimes they feel “guilty that they survived while others didn’t.” (Magill’s Medical
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder also known as PTSD is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event, either experiencing it or witnessing it. When one experiences PTSD, symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event (Mayo Clinic).
The symptoms of PTSD, while generally not life threatening, can be very distressing and have serious effects on a person’s health and well-being. There are three classes of symptoms related to PTSD, re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms, and hyperarousal symptoms. The re-experiencing symptoms are generally flashbacks, bad dreams and frightening thoughts. These symptoms are produced from the persons own thoughts and can be triggered by anything reminding them of the experience. The second classification of symptoms are called the avoidance symptoms and they include staying away from places and other objects that remind the person of the experience, as well as feeling strong guilt, depression, worry, emotional numbness, and a loss of interest in the world around you. The final classification, hyperarousal symptoms, includes being easily startled, feeling tense, having angry outbursts, and insomnia. These symptoms are
Those who have studied PTSD have traced the cause back to a haunting event in an individual’s life. “A traumatic event is one where you see that you are in danger, your life is threatened, or where you see other people dying or being injured” (RCPSYCH.uk). PTSD creates a type of anxiety, and this type of anxiety prevents the patient
Post-traumatic stress disorder, commonly known as PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic or life threatening event that causes intense feelings of fear or helplessness. PTSD affects most people differently depending on the individual, but
PTSD is defined as an "anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or happens to you” (United States). In these types of events one can feel that they are not in control of what is going on around them and may feel helpless or in great danger. The Department of Veterans Affairs has listed various life threatening events that can evolve into PTSD. These events include but are not limited to "Combat or Military exposure, child sexual or physical abuse, terrorist attacks, sexual or physical assault, serious accidents, such as a car wreck, natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake” (United States).
According the Department of Veteran Affairs, PTSD can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something terrible and scary that you see, hear
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition that can follow a traumatic incident (Emory). PTSD can stem from a variety of traumatic events, such as sexual assault, floods, being kidnapped, and major catastrophes like 9/11 (PTSD: A Growing Epidemic). A major symptom of PTSD is re-experiencing trauma by either distressing thoughts or memories, and sometimes by vivid flashbacks in the most severe cases. Other symptoms can include increased anxiety and paranoia, depression, or avoiding situations where flashbacks can be triggered. An estimated 5% of men and 10% of women experience some form of PTSD in their lives (Emory). However, in a smaller demographic, veterans, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have estimated
According to the Mayo-Clinic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD is defined as “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that 's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014). Post Traumatic Stress disorder can prevent one from living a normal, healthy life.
Posttraumatic 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 or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers.
Post-traumatic stress disorder can affect the ones personally experiencing the ordeal and the ones that have witnessed it. A list of events that can leave you feeling stuck or helpless, which in turn can lead to PTSD are war, natural disasters, car or plane crashes, terrorist attacks, sudden death of a loved one, kidnapping, assault, sexual or physical abuse, and childhood neglect (Segal & Smith, 2014). These traumatic occurrences that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder are usually so overwhelming and frightening that they would upset anyone. Most of the people that are exposed to these situations may experience a symptom such as distress. This symptom can arise quickly and gradually or come and go over a period of time.
There are many things that can possibly cause a person to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Any event that is life threatening or threatens physical harm can cause PTSD. These events may include: sexual abuse or violence, physical abuse, natural or man-made disasters, violent crimes such as kidnapping or school shootings, car or plane crashes (Hamblen). The event does not have to always directly happen to the person though. PTSD can also occur after being exposed to things such as community violence, war, or domestic violence (Hamblen). Certain variables also can increase a person’s risk of developing PTSD in their lifetime. “Risk factors include: female gender previous trauma exposure, preexisting psychiatric disorders, parental psychopathology, and low social support” (Hamblen).
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger this anxiety include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.