Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Individuals who survive severely traumatic events often have PTSD. These traumatic events may include both natural and man- made disasters. These include combat, rape, floods, abductions, airplane crashes, threats (life threatening), and sexual abuse in children, adolescents, and adults. Although ordinary life experiences such as bereavement, divorce, and serious illness are implicitly excluded from the definition of PTSD, a sudden, unexpected death of a spouse or child could certainly qualify as a traumatic event. PTSD can even be diagnosed in those who have learned about a severe trauma experienced by someone to whom they are close (children, spouse, relative, friend) (Morrison, 1995).
Specific symptoms of PTSD include:
Physiological hyperarousal, feelings of guilt or personal responsibility, intrusive, distressing recollections (thoughts, images), repeated distressing dreams, flashbacks, hallucinations, illusions, feeling or acting as if the event were recurring, marked mental distress in reaction to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble some part of the event, physiological reactions (rapid heart beat, elevated blood pressure), tries to avoid feelings, thoughts, or conversations concerned with the event, cannot recall important features of the event, loss of interest in activities important to the individual, detachment and isolation from other people, restriction in ability to love or feel other strong emotions, feels life will be brief or unfulfilled, insomnia, angry outbursts or irritability, poor concentration, excessive vigilance, increased startle response (Morrison, 1995).
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