Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is one of those things we hear a lot about in wartime. It is most often associated with soldiers returning from war - scarred by horrible memories that seem to return and return, the infamous "flashbacks" so prevalent in the movies. But in truth, PTSD affects some 8 million Americans and is actually more prevalent in women. And "flashbacks" aren't always in the equation.Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that is triggered by a traumatic event (duh.) What constitutes a trauma varies wildly from person to person and yes, it may be something as awful as witnessing the horrors of combat, or something as commonplace as a traffic accident. Rape, a mugging, physical or mental abuse can cause PTSD as well as natural disasters. After any of these events a person would normally be overwhelmed by strong emotions - fear, anger, guilt and such - but gradually the coping mechanisms of the brain start to take the edge off and the person would start to feel better. In PTSD, the process somehow gets off track, and those strong emotions can surface suddenly with all the intensity of those of the original event. (Think wormhole for feelings. Yuck.)
The symptoms of PTSD can be an annoyance or they can sideline your life. But it can be treated. There are medications to reduce the anxiety and therapies designed to help defuse the memories through gradual exposure or reduce your reaction to them through cognitive thought processing. Most folks with PTSD will improve dramatically with treatment. Good news here what with Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and 9-11. We've had enough trauma, Thank You.
Good movie on the subject: Reign Over Me with Adam Sandler.
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