Imagine, if you will, that you are walking alone at night in an unfamiliar neighborhood. You think you hear footsteps behind you so you walk a little faster. Suddenly someone steps out from behind a bush. You turn around but someone is behind you as well. They are both bigger than you and you are scared to death. Possibly you are mugged or raped. Maybe you escape harm, but you’ve still had a harrowing experience. You could end up suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) if you have an experience like this or have exposure to any real or a perceived life-threatening trauma where you responded with intense fear.

PTSD is a medically recognized anxiety disorder that occurs in normal individuals under extremely stressful situations. Symptoms may appear immediately and then disappear after several months. At other times symptoms may take up to 6 months to emerge and may never completely go away. Half of those who meet the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD will still suffer from symptoms a year after diagnosis and 1/3 will still have weekly symptoms ten years after the trauma.

Criteria for PTSD

  • Exposure to a traumatic event marked by intense fear, helplessness or horror
  • Symptoms from each of the three symptom clusters
  • Intrusive recollections (evoke panic, fear, dread, nightmares, grief, despair, daytime fantasies, etc.)
  • Avoidant/numbing symptoms (avoidance of trauma related stimuli, trouble leaving the house, cannot tolerate strong emotions, etc.)
  • Hyperarousal symptoms (symptoms resemble panic attacks, generalized anxiety, insomnia, irritability, startle response, hypervigilance that may come across as paranoia)

You may also use the mnemonic “DREAMS”

D = DETACHMENT

R = REEXPERIENCING THE EVENT

E = EVENT HAD EMOTIONAL EFFECTS

A = AVOIDANCE

M = MONTH IN DURATION

S = SYMPATHETIC, HYPERACTIVITY OR HYPERVIGILANCE

Some Statistics of PTSD

Certain populations are more at risk than others Here are just a few examples:

  • 2% in post-partum women
  • 18% in professional fire fighters
  • 34% in adolescent survivors of car accidents
  • 48% in female rape victims
  • 67% in prisoners of war

Up to 80% of patients with PTSD will have a comorbid psychological or psychiatric disorder.

The most common diseases that occur with PTSD are:

  • major depression
  • substance abuse
  • dysthymia
  • bipolar disorder
  • generalized anxiety disorder
  • panic disorder
  • phobias
  • dissociative disorders

Sources: Heathy Genius

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