Often a problem for war veterans, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a delayed and long-term psychological reaction to a disturbing event. While very common in soldiers who have experienced combat, PTSD can happen to anyone of any age who has experienced a bad accident, natural disaster, or violent crime in which they endured or were threatened by physical harm.

PTSD affects about 7.7 million American adults. People can develop post-traumatic stress after being harmed themselves or witnessing a harmful event happening to someone else. They may seem fine or emotionally detached from the event at first, but usually within 3 months they begin to exhibit symptoms. The disorder is more common in women than in men.

People who suffer from PTSD display a variety of symptoms, including skittishness, emotional numbness toward loved ones, and loss of interest in hobbies and other activities they once enjoyed. Some who have PTSD become aggressive and violent. They avoid places and situations that remind them of the original incident. They may experience vivid flashbacks, sometimes triggered by unrelated noises that remind them of the original incident, such as a car backfiring that sounds like gunfire, which then cause them lose touch with reality. PTSD patients may also relive their past experiences in nightmares while sleeping.

Symptoms must last for more than a month to be considered PTSD. Occasionally, the symptoms don’t emerge until several years after the original incident. Some people recover within 6 months, while others never fully escape the effects. People with PTSD are also at risk for depression, substance abuse, other anxiety disorders, and sometimes suicide.

Treatment includes antidepressants or antianxiety medications, talk therapy sessions, or both. Another type of therapy, called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), encourages patients to talk about their memories while focusing on distractions, such as eye movements, hand taps, and sounds; studies have shown that this technique may help people change the way they react to their traumatic memories so they experience fewer PTSD symptoms.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder tend to be worse if the traumatic event that triggered them was deliberately initiated, as in a rape, mugging, or kidnapping.
  2. Children with PTSD may temporarily be unable to talk or may revert to behavior from when they were younger, complain of stomach problems or headaches, or refuse to play with friends.
  3. Nearly one in five military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan has reported symptoms of PTSD or major depression, according to a 2008 study, yet only slightly more than half of those have sought treatment.