Traumatic stress can be seen as part of a normal human response to intense experiences. In the majority of people, the symptoms reduce or disappear over the first few months, particularly with the help of caring family members and friends. In a significant minority, however, the symptoms do not seem to resolve quickly and, in some cases, may continue to cause problems for the rest of the person's life. It is also common for symptoms to vary in intensity over time. Some people go for long periods without any significant problems, only to relapse when they have to deal with other major life stress. In rare cases, the symptoms may not appear for months, or even years, after the trauma.
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Common Symptoms Of PTSD
PTSD is characterized by three main groups of problems. They can be classified under the headings of intrusive, avoidance and arousal symptoms.
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Intrusive symptoms
Memories, images, smells, sounds, and feelings of the traumatic event can "intrude" into the lives of individuals with PTSD. Sufferers may remain so captured by the memory of past horror that they have difficulty paying attention to the present. People with PTSD report frequent, distressing memories of the event that they wish they did not have. They may have nightmares of the event or other frightening themes. Movement, excessive sweating, and sometimes even acting out the dream while still asleep may accompany these nightmares. They sometimes feel as though the events were happening again; this is referred to as "flashbacks" or "reliving" the event. They may become distressed, or experience physical signs such as sweating, increased heart rate, and muscle tension when things happen which remind them of the incident. Overall, these "intrusive" symptoms cause intense distress and can result in other emotions such as grief, guilt, fear or anger.
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Intrusive symptoms of PTSD:
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Distressing memories or images of the incident
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Nightmares of the event or other frightening themes
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Flashbacks (reliving the event)
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Becoming upset when reminded of the incident
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Physical symptoms, such as sweating, increased heart rate, or muscle tension when reminded of the event
Resource: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and war-related stress - Veterans Affairs Canada
PTSD is a psychological response to the experience of intense traumatic events, particularly those that threaten life. It can affect people of any age, culture or gender. Although we have started to hear a lot more about it in recent years, the condition has been known to exist at least since ancient Greece and has been called by many different names. In the American Civil War, it was referred to as "soldier's heart;" in the First World War, it was called "shell shock," and in the Second World War, it was known as "war neurosis." Many soldiers were labelled as having "combat fatigue" when experiencing symptoms associated with PTSD during combat. In the Vietnam War, this became known as a "combat stress reaction." Some of these people continued on to develop what became known, in 1980, as a post-traumatic stress disorder.
What is PTSD?
Veterans
What is a traumatic event?
Trauma is a very personal thing. What traumatizes one person can be of less significance to others. This variation in peoples' reactions occurs because of their individual personality, beliefs, personal values, and previous experiences (especially of other traumatic events in their life). It also occurs because each person's experience of the incident is unique. However, in all cases the individual has experienced a threatening event that has caused him or her to respond with intense fear, helplessness, or horror.
For military Veterans, the trauma may relate to direct combat duties, being in a dangerous war zone, or taking part in peacekeeping missions under difficult and stressful conditions. For civilians, the trauma can stem from either man-made event (such as physical or sexual assault, accidents, and witnessing the death or injury of others) or natural disasters (such as fires, earthquakes, floods, and ice storms). There are no hard and fast rules to define trauma.