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Post Traumatic Stress 

What is post traumatic stress? 

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event.  (Anyone who has gone through a life-threatening event can develop PTSD.) Sometimes terrible events happen that can be very frightening.  However, there is another level of major events that may be considered traumatic.  The many types of events vary but they all  include something horrible and scary that you see, or that happens to you. During a traumatic event you think that your life or others' lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening.  your daily activities.

Most people who go through a traumatic event have some symptoms at the beginning. Yet only some will develop PTSD. It isn't clear why some people develop PTSD and others don't.

Examples of event can include:

• Child sexual or physical abuse
• Sexual or physical assault
• Serious accidents, such as a car wreck.
• Combat or military exposure
• Natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake.
• Terrorist attacks
• Witness to a homicide, suicide and other events

After the event, you may feel scared, confused, or angry. If these feelings don't go away or they get worse, you may have PTSD. These symptoms may disrupt your life, making it hard to continue with your daily activities.

The likelihood of you developing PTSD depends on many things. These include:

• How intense the trauma was or how long it lasted
• If you lost someone you were close to or were hurt
• How close you were to the event
• How strong your reaction was
• How much you felt in control of events
• How much help and support you got after the event

Many people who develop PTSD get better at some time. But about 1 out of 3 people with PTSD may continue to have some symptoms. Even if you continue to have symptoms, treatment can help you cope. Your symptoms don't have to interfere with your everyday activities, work, and relationships.

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