subject: The Fundamentals Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [print this page] Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is broadly defined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as the following: a person who has been exposed to a traumatic event where actual or threatened death, serious injury or a threat to one's physical integrity of oneself or others has occurred; and, a person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror. Many US servicemen and women, especially those serving their country in Iraq and Afghanistan, have realized after returning home that they suffer from PTSD. In fact, the U.S. Army believes that 12 to 22 percent of veterans of these two wars suffer from the disorder. In addition, roughly 11 percent of veterans from the First Gulf War (1990-91) and about 32 percent of veterans from the Vietnam War suffer from the disorder. On top of these disturbing numbers, it is believed that between 5 to 15 percent of girls and 1 to 5 percent of boys have experienced a traumatic event which resulted in PTSD.
Almost any type of trauma in which a person has either experienced or witnessed can cause PTSD. These include, but certainly not limited to, accident, death, torture, rape, terrorism, war and assault. Though current research indicates that the disorder occurs after a series of traumatic events, sometimes serious life altering events can result in the disorder.
Moreover, there are certain factors which make certain people susceptible to PTSD than others. For instance, children and adolescents, women, people with learning disabilities and those who experienced domestic violence all have a higher risk of developing it after going though a traumatic experience.
Symptoms of the disorder can include the re-experiencing of the traumatic event, either through memories or nightmare; phobias of people, places and certain things connected to the event; and, chronic hyper-arousal (insomnia, problems focusing, anger management issues, blackouts and poor memory and paranoia).
Treatment for PTSD depends on the severity of the disorder and on the personal circumstances of the individual. Treatment can include psychotherapy, educational courses, behavioral cognitive therapy and medicine. Furthermore, family members and friends of those suffering from the disorder can attend various forms of counseling to assist people coping with the syndrome.
If you or someone you love suffers from PTSD it is paramount to get them the appropriate care and treatment as soon as possible. The faster the person receives treatment, the sooner they will get help and acquire the skills necessary to cope with this terrible illness.
