Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can occur in survivors of traumatic events. While it is commonly believed to be something that only veterans experience, sadly, 1 out of 11 people experience these severe, life-changing occurrences.
There are many different ways that someone can be traumatized, but some common examples include:
Abuse or neglect
Sexual or physical assault
Divorce
Family or parental abandonment
Incarceration
Job loss
Natural disasters
Physical injury
Serious illness
Terrorism
Violence
Witnessing a crime, accident, or death
Some traumas, such as accidents or witnessing a crime, are one-time incidents. Other traumas are long-lasting and continuous, such as coping with a prolonged, chronic illness or recurring childhood abuse. There are also types of trauma often overlooked, such as trauma that occurs during childbirth or surgery.
These events and experiences trigger extreme fear and an overwhelming amount of stress. Some people can recover and accommodate over time. However, when we continue feeling like we're stuck in this state of fear without any presence of danger, we may be experiencing symptoms of PTSD.
Symptoms of PTSD