Trauma/PTSD

Trauma involves exposure to a life-threatening experience. The risk for Post-traumatic stress disorder, commonly referred to as PTSD, increases with excessive exposure to trauma.

A traumatic event involves the direct personal experience of an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or other threat to one’s physical integrity. It could also involve witnessing an event that involves death, injury, or threat to the physical integrity of another person.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, is a condition that some people develop after they experience a very traumatic, sometimes life-threatening event.

The DSM-IV defines post-traumatic stress disorder as a set of typical symptoms that develop after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an “extreme traumatic stressor“. The person reacts to this experience with fear and helplessness, persistently relives the event, and tries to avoid being reminded of it. The symptoms must last for more than a month and must significantly affect important areas of life such as family and work.

Some people develop PTSD immediately after experiencing the traumatic event; for others, signs of the disorder do not develop until several weeks, months, or years after the event.

Persons who have experienced a traumatic event report the presence of three classes of symptoms:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is treated by individual therapy in addition to some medications. Therapy can help restore a sense of control and diminish the power of past events.

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