I'd like to talk about a specific type of stress in this blog entry, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is a stress disorder that develops after being exposed to a traumatic event or situation that could have caused great physical harm or danger. PTSD first became apparent when it related to war veterans, but it is now known to be related to any traumatic event such as rape, kid napping, child abuse, car accidents, plane crashes, natural disaster, etc.
Most people with PTSD suffer from the symptoms of flashback, in which they continuously relive the situations that terrify them. They become frightened easily, have a loss of interest in things, have trouble showing emotions and feeling affectionate. They become irritable, more violent and aggressive.
The range in which symptoms appear and disappear ranges from individual to individual. Symptoms can appear 3 month after the incident but also show up years after the incident. People have shown to recover within 6 months but treatment can also last a very long time.
Some facts about PTSD:
-PTSD affects about 7.7 million American adults.
-PTSD can occur at any age, including childhood.
-Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men.
-Some evidence shows that it can be hereditary.
-PTSD is often accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or one or more of the other anxiety disorders.
1 comment:
I think it's kind of interesting that I read this after watching Reign Over Me, which stars a character that suffers from PTSD. Like you said, I knew that it was a result of war, but I didn't realize that it could be attributed to so many other terrible experiences. I used to think it was silly that it was changed from being called "shell-shocked" to something longer, but I guess this is actually more appropriate since it fits a variety of situations.
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