Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that develops after a person experiences a terrifying or extremely upsetting event. Often, the event triggering PTSD is violent or terrifying in nature.

 

Over 7.7 million American adults have some degree of post-traumatic stress disorder. The anxiety disorder can also occur in children, particularly children who live through disasters or who suffer abuse.

Post-traumatic anxiety disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop days, weeks or even years after the traumatizing event. PTSD is not simply anxiety, nor is it a condition that should be left untreated.

 

Most people experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder recover within six months if they receive treatment. Chronic PTSD, however, can last for years. Chronic PTSD may recur even if the sufferer has not had any symptoms for a long period of time and can be triggered by anything that causes the sufferer to remember or relive the traumatizing event that first caused PTSD to develop.

Post-traumatic stress disorder triggers include almost any frightening or traumatic event. Soldiers and rape victims have a high risk of PTSD. Survivors of assault, disasters and serious accidents are also prone to PTSD.

While most PTSD triggers have a violent component, an event does not been to by physically painful to be traumatic. People have developed post-traumatic stress disorder after only witnessing traumatic events.

A sharp increase in post-traumatic stress disorder occurred in the United States after the September 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks, proving that an event does not have to directly involve an individual to be traumatic.

Experiencing a traumatic event is the primary risk factor for PTSD. No one knows, however, why some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder while others do not.

However, research has uncovered these facts:

Post-traumatic stress disorder is characterized by persistent thinking about and reliving of the traumatic event. PTSD can cause nightmares, flashbacks in which the trauma is repeatedly relived and phobia-like levels of anxiety when confronted with events or objects that trigger traumatic memories.

Victims of PTSD may also distance themselves from people they love and display symptoms of depression. In some cases, post-traumatic stress disorder results in irritability and aggression. It is possible for PTSD to cause violent reactions.

A multi-therapy approach is often required for PTSD treatment. Psychological counseling can help individuals identify the causes and triggers of post-traumatic stress disorder and can teach PTSD sufferers ways to control or minimize their unwanted symptoms. Both single and group counseling are available for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Antidepressants are commonly used for PTSD treatment. Although tranquilizers were once used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, they are not very effective and can have serious side effects.