Understanding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Why It Occurs And The Symptoms

Posttraumatic stress disorder is a disorder that can occur from experiencing or witnessing tragic or life-threatening events.  Military combat, terrorist incidents, natural disasters, serious accidents, or personal assaults like rape can create stress that will not go away.  Most people will recover from such events after a little time.  Others will have stress reactions that worsen over time and do not go away.  They may suffer from dreams or flashbacks of the violent event.  These people develop posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD.  People who suffer from PTSD often do not sleep well and feel cut-off from family and friends.  These symptoms are serious enough, or last long enough to seriously interfere with a person’s life.

There are clear biological and psychological symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress disorder.  The disorder is complicated by other events that are happening at the same time.  The patient may suffer from depression, substance abuse, and problems with memory and brain function.  PTSD may hinder a person’s ability to get along in social and family situations.  It may cause marital problems, divorce, conflict in the family, and problems with parenting.

Posttraumatic stress disorder has been around for a long time.  It dates from ancient times and is recorded in medical history during the Civil War.  There are much documentation of posttraumatic stress symptoms of the World Wars, people from Nazi controlled Germany, and Viet Nam veterans.

Research began in earnest after the Viet Nam war.  Studies found that at least 30 percent of returning war veterans suffered some symptoms of PTSD after their return from the war.  It was found that men and women involved in war zones all over the world suffer from this syndrome, including peacekeeping forces.

PTSD is not limited to veterans of wars.  It appears in men, women, children and adults.  It affects people at every social and economic level and in all the cultures of the world.  A study done in 2005 found that eight percent of all Americans experience posttraumatic stress disorder.

Posttraumatic stress disorder occurs when people are exposed to stressful and traumatic events.  They may include being in a war zone, witnessing a terrible accident, or being involved in a terrorist attack or natural disaster.  Doctors reported a rise in physical and emotional problems after the United States was attacked on 9/11.  These events may cause stress for a short time or cause people to have mild symptoms.  About 30 percent of these individuals will go on to develop this severe problem that may last throughout their lifetimes.

Researchers have been studying a way of identifying people who suffer from posttraumatic stress syndrome.  A multi-method approach helps filter out patients who might be in denial or exaggerating their symptoms.  Using interviews, questionnaires, and physiological assessments can discover who is suffering from posttraumatic stress syndrome.  Traumatic events can be responsible for this syndrome, but it does not mean that everyone who has experienced a traumatic event will develop it.  Much will depend on events previously faced in his life.