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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
An extreme traumatic event is an event that a person may experience, see, or learn about and that causes intense fear, helplessness, and horror.
The event involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or threats of harm to oneself or to others.
For example, a person may be:
- Physically attacked, as in cases of domestic violence or rape
- Injured in a serious car, plane, or train accident
- Hurt or traumatized by a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, flood, or tornado
- Told about the sudden, unexpected death of a loved one
In some people, an extreme traumatic event may lead to a condition known as posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
The acute stress of a traumatic event causes chemical reactions in the brain as well as physical symptoms. Some people who experience these symptoms may develop PTSD. Some examples of situations that may be associated with PTSD include:
- A woman who survived a terrible car accident 3 years ago hears an ambulance siren in the distance. She shakes uncontrollably, her heart starts pounding rapidly, and her palms sweat
- A man who was mugged and severely beaten on a darkened street is "extremely jumpy" and avoids leaving his home, especially at night
- Two years have passed since a woman lost her home and everything in it during a flash flood. But she still has nightmares about floods, and she has severe problems falling asleep and staying asleep whenever overnight rain is in the weather forecast
In the past, many people believed that only soldiers or other people who had been in a war could get PTSD. Because of that, years ago, PTSD was commonly called "combat fatigue" or "shell shock." But, based on new research, doctors and other healthcare professionals are learning that all kinds of people from different backgrounds can have traumatic experiences that can — and sometimes do — lead to PTSD.
Although most people who experience an extreme traumatic event will not develop PTSD, as many as 1 out of 13 Americans will get PTSD at some point during their lives. Slightly more than 1 out of 10 women in the U.S. will get PTSD. The good news is that, in many cases, PTSD can be treated successfully.
Women May Get PTSD More Often Than Men
Most of the available studies provide evidence that women get PTSD more often than men after being exposed to a traumatic event. In these studies, women appear to be about twice as likely as men to eventually get PTSD. One possible explanation for this difference is that women and men usually experience very different types of traumatic events.
For example, one study showed that women may be more likely to be:
People who have PTSD should know that this is a medical condition, an illness as real as diabetes or arthritis. This condition is not a sign of personal weakness. The symptoms of this condition are not "all in your head" or "imaginary."
Signs and Symptoms of PTSD
A person who has experienced an extreme trauma may be diagnosed with PTSD if he or she has a certain number of symptoms from each of three symptom groups: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyperarousal. These symptoms must last for more than 1 month and must cause severe problems or distress in personal life, work life, or other important areas of daily living.
Re-experiencing — one or more of the following:
- Frequent, sudden, and upsetting memories about the event, including certain images and thoughts about the event
- Repeated distressing dreams about the event
- Acting or feeling as if the traumatic event were happening again (includes reliving, such as having flashbacks about the event)
- Strong mental and emotional pain when seeing people, places, or other reminders of the event
- Physical reactions (such as shakiness, chills, heart beating fast) when seeing people, places, or other reminders of the event
Avoidance and numbing — three or more of the following:
- Making efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations about the event
- Making efforts to avoid activities, places, or people that are reminders of the event
- Not being able to remember important details about the event
- No longer enjoying or taking part in activities once enjoyed
- Feeling detached or removed from family and friends
- Having feelings of emotional numbness that others may notice
- Believing that certain important life goals (such as marriage, parenthood, or growing older) will not be fulfilled
Hyperarousal — two or more of the following:
- Problems falling asleep or staying asleep
- Angry outbursts or being irritable
- Problems concentrating
- Feeling "overly alert"
- Being "overly startled"
Appearance of PTSD Symptoms
Symptoms of PTSD usually start to appear within several weeks of the traumatic event. However, some people may not have any symptoms for months or years after the traumatic event.
PTSD — and the Possibility of Other Conditions
Sometimes people with PTSD also may have another medical condition, such as:
- Another anxiety disorder
- Major depression
Also, people with PTSD may try to numb their feelings by "self-medicating" with alcohol and/or drugs.
In addition, some people with PTSD have physical complaints along with PTSD symptoms. These people often go to their doctors seeking treatment for these symptoms, which may include:
- Stomach pains; alternating constipation/diarrhea
- Respiratory problems
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps or aches
- Low back pain
- Cardiovascular problems
If you have one or more of these conditions, along with the symptoms of PTSD discussed earlier, be sure to talk to a healthcare professional. Only a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional can evaluate your overall condition to determine whether you have a medical disorder and to make a diagnosis of PTSD.
The exact cause of PTSD is not clear, but research has shown that it may be associated with a chemical imbalance in the brain.
- Raped
- Sexually molested
- Neglected by parents during childhood
- Physically abused during childhood
In short, some doctors believe that women may have a higher prevalence of PTSD because the types of traumatic events that they experience are more likely to be associated with personal violence (such as rape and sexual molestation) than the events that men usually report.
Also, the types of traumatic events that women experience often tend to happen repeatedly, especially in childhood.
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