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What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is the result of any event that causes extreme fear and anxiety.

Natural disasters such as earthquakes or hurricanes, war experiences, plane crashes, car accidents or childhood trauma can bring on some of the most common symptoms.

As in the case of the 911 attack in New York City, the anniversary of the event may be especially painful. Similarly, any evocative circumstance, such as a car backfire or explosion, may set off memories in war veterans.

War veterans, in fact, were the first to call widespread attention to the condition, especially during the post-Vietnam War era. Today, according to a 2008 study, a high percentage of armed forces Iraq War veterans (or 1 in 5) also suffer from major depression or "post-deployment" stress.

Symptoms

Signs that a person may be suffering from post-traumatic stress include emotional detachment and numbness, insomnia, nightmares - and persistent and frightening flashbacks - as the mind and emotions try to process and reprocess what has happened following the event.

Depending on the person, and the emotional support found in friends and family, recovery may be quick and assured. In other cases, as when symptoms go unrecognized, a person suffering from the disorder may resort to violent behavor, exhibit related eating disorders or descend into alcoholism or drug abuse.

In some cases, a person who has lived through a traumatic incident may initially exhibit no symptoms for weeks or months afterwards. In some cases it may take years, as often seen in victims of child abuse who upon reaching adulthood may not seek required emotional help in an attempt to "bury" the incident.

Treatment

With increased awareness of the condition, schools and hospitals are better equipped with information and public service classes providing increased emotional support, especially for victims of public disasters.

Treatment for severe symptoms may include certain drugs such as antidepressants, along with psychotherapy similar to that used in treatment of anxiety or panic disorder.

More about post-traumatic stress disorder around the Web:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Syndrome (PTSD) - National Institutes of Health guide to the topic with an overview of symptoms, treatment and where to get help in the U.S.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Wikipedia - An overview of the history of the condition, along with modern day diagnosis and treatment, related references and resources.

The Invisible Epidemic: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Memory and the Brain - An illustrated discussion on the physcial effects on the brain caused by childhood trauma.

9/11: The Psychological Aftermath - Archived feature article from Scientific American on typical symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorders exhibited by New Yorkers post-911.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - First person account by a Vietnam War veteran with information on symptoms, therapy and treatment, suggested reading.

Post traumatic stress syndrome blogs - The latest posts from veterans, doctors and medical experts via Google Blog Search.

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