Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Many of us may associate post-traumatic stress disorder with military actions. But post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop in anyone, at any age, after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. (Read about "Coping with Tragedy")

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over five million people in the U.S. have PTSD during the course of any given year. Traumatic events that can trigger PTSD include:

• violent personal assaults such as rape or mugging (Read about "Violence and Abuse")
• natural or human-caused disasters
• accidents
• military combat, with an estimated 30 percent of the men and women who have spent time in war zones experiencing PTSD

NIH says PTSD is different from the normal reaction people will develop after a trauma, in that it doesn't subside with time. PTSD is characterized by things such as continuing to re-experience and react to the event or going out of your way to avoid normal things because they trigger such a strong emotional reminder of the event.

Recognizing the problem

The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder says careful research and documentation of PTSD began in earnest after the Vietnam War. The National Vietnam Veterans Study estimated in 1988 that the prevalence of PTSD in that group was 15.2 percent at the time, and that 30 percent had experienced the disorder at some point since returning from Vietnam.

PTSD has subsequently been observed in all veteran populations that have been studied, including World War II, Korean conflict and Persian Gulf and in United Nations peacekeeping forces deployed to other war zones around the world. PTSD also appears in military veterans in other countries, with everyone experiencing similar symptoms.

PTSD is not only a problem for veterans. Although men and women react differently, and people in some non-western cultures react differently, PTSD occurs around the world, to many different types of people. A 1995 study says that 5 percent of men and 10 percent of women will have PTSD sometime in their lives.

An anxiety disorder

PTSD is considered an anxiety disorder. (Read about "Anxiety") Those who develop PTSD after exposure to a traumatic ordeal may repeatedly re-experience that ordeal in the form of flashbacks, memories, nightmares or frightening thoughts. This may happen unexpectedly, or when they are exposed to events or objects that remind them of the trauma, as well as on anniversaries of the event. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says that PTSD can also cause:

• emotional numbness
• sleep disturbances
• depression (Read about "Depressive Illnesses")
• anxiety
• irritability or outbursts of anger
• feelings of intense guilt

Someone with PTSD may have other anxiety disorders too. They may also experience symptoms of depression, headaches, gastrointestinal complaints, immune system problems, dizziness, chest pain or discomfort in other parts of the body. (Read about "Headaches" "Digestive System" "The Immune System" "Balance Disorders" "Angina")

Treatment and research

Some studies show that debriefing people very soon after a catastrophe may reduce some of the symptoms of PTSD. According to NIMH, research has also demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy and exposure therapy, in which the patient repeatedly relives the frightening experience under controlled conditions to help him or her work through the trauma. According to the National Institutes of Health, studies have also shown that medications help ease associated symptoms of depression and anxiety and help promote sleep. Scientists are attempting to determine which treatments work best for which type of trauma.

If someone suspects PTSD, they should look for a mental health professional who has had experience treating people with the disorder.

Meanwhile, research continues to find out what triggers PTSD or makes some people more susceptible. Scientists are looking into environmental and genetic causes (Read about "Genetics") of this and other anxiety disorders. Research is also looking into the role of the brain.

For example, according to the National Institutes of Health, it has been found that the body's fear response is coordinated by a small structure deep inside the brain, called the amygdala. (Read about "The Brain") The amygdala is believed to serve as a communications hub between the parts of the brain that process incoming sensory signals and the parts that interpret them. It can signal that a threat is present, and trigger a fear response or anxiety. It appears that emotional memories stored in the central part of the amygdala may play a role in disorders involving very distinct fears. Some research suggests that other anxiety disorders may be associated with abnormal activation of the amygdala as well.

NIMH says scientists are also investigating changes in another part of the brain called the hippocampus. This is believed to be the brain structure that is responsible for processing threatening or traumatic stimuli. It also plays a key role in the brain by helping to encode information into memories. In addition, research is looking into changes in the levels of hormones that are involved in our stress reactions, such as epinephrine and cortisol. (Read about "Stress")

Related Information:

    Mental Health

    Suicide Prevention

    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

    Panic Disorder

    Addiction

    Alcoholism

    Phobias

    Social Phobia