Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Words: 895
Pages: 4
Open Document
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition caused by experience with a life-threatening or terrifying event, such as a natural disaster, combat, automobile accident, or sexual assault. Individuals affected with PTSD seem to relive the trauma they experienced or witnessed, making it extremely difficult to keep their minds off of it. Flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety can arise for months to years after a single traumatic event.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder affects over 3 million people in the U.S. each year. 5-10% of all men and 7-14% of all women in the U.S. experience PTSD. While the likelihood of experiencing PTSD increases with increased exposure to trauma, it is one of the most common mental health conditions. Most …show more content…
Changes in major brain structures of people affected by PTSD have been shown by neuroanatomical studies. In general, trauma causes significant physical changes to the amygdala and hippocampus, affecting memory and emotions. Linguistic function is also disrupted because of the effects PTSD has on the prefrontal lobe., which causes confusion and difficulty expressing thoughts and feelings. Normally, the hippocampus blends memory together from all the sensory areas, stores short-term memories, and processes it into other parts of the brain when it no longer needs to be readily available. This creates longer term memories. However, the hippocampus of those who have PTSD is notably smaller in volume. Consequently, they have reduced ability to record new memories and they retrieve older memories in response to environmental stimuli. Because the hippocampus is also used to distinguish between past and present memories people with PTSD can lose this ability, often causing flashbacks. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is responsible for regulating negative emotions, including fear. Because it shrinks in people who have PTSD, they have difficulty regulating these emotions. This can cause extreme fear, anxiety, and stress when reminded of the original traumatic event. Activity in the amygdala, which processes emotions and fear responses, is increased with trauma. The amygdala of a person with PTSD becomes hyperactive in response to stimuli related to the original trauma. In extreme cases, hyperactivity of the amygdala can cause a fear response from seeing pictures of other people exhibiting
Show More

Related Documents: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post traumatic stress disorder occur after an individual has gone through significant trauma. Many times, the situation is life-threatening like military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape (“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”). PTSD is a serious mental illness that can affect anyone. An estimated one in 11 people will experience PTSD in their lifetime. PTSD has been known by many names. During World War I, it was known as “shell…

Words 1316 - Pages 6

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CBT)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is defined by the American Psychology Association as an anxiety problem that develops in some people after extremely traumatic events. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder affects many people. In fact, PTSD United states that 7-8% of people will have PTSD during their lifetime which is equivalent to the population of texas. 11-20% of current veterans develop PTSD and that is broken down where 306,000 of those veterans are from the Afghanistan/Iraq Involvement, 56…

Words 1312 - Pages 6

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Analysis

History of PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is a psychiatric disorder that can take place following the involvement or observing of a life threatening event. PTSD has long since existed since trauma but was brought to attention during early war periods. In 1678, “Swiss military physicians were among the first to identify and group behaviors of PTSD” (Zagata). Many military physicians witnessed emotionally stressed soldiers and dismissed it as cowardice. It wasn’t until 1905 when the Russian…

Words 438 - Pages 2

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, such as combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault. Some common symptoms include, but are not limited to, reliving the event (unwelcome thoughts about the trauma can come up at any time. patients can feel very real and scary, as if the event is happening again. This is called a flashback), avoiding things that remind the event…

Words 836 - Pages 4

Hypnosis And Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Hypnosis and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Angel O’Neal COM/156 July 7, 2013 Curtis Gold Do you or someone you know suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? There are many, including myself who battles daily with this horrific anxiety disorder. Post –Traumatic Stress Disorder hits home and I have had daily battles with this disorder for many years. In February 1993, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and never thought the unimaginable would happen. When Brittani was six months old she…

Words 1184 - Pages 5

post traumatic stress disorder Essay

back from war and has post traumatic stress disorder? I bet you want to know a little more about it don’t you? Well post traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience of witnessing of a life threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters terrorist attacks, serious accidents, physical and sexual assault in adult or children. Your symptoms for PTSD are like your re-experiencing symptoms which is your reliving the traumatic event. Things that…

Words 898 - Pages 4

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

According to Mayo Clinic, “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.” Soldiers who are in the front lines of battle are put under some of the most intense circumstances during combat. In Junger’s Tribe, the author raises some provocative ideas. He cites research showing that likelihood…

Words 1488 - Pages 6

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental and emotional condition that has its origins in a physical and mentally traumatic event that occurred anywhere from a few days to several years in the past. PTSD can develop by one overwhelming trauma or by a series of smaller traumas or abuses occurring over several years such as the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. It can be recognized from symptoms such as recurrent and persistent recollections of the traumatic event and recurring dreams of the event…

Words 168 - Pages 1

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is another common anxiety disorder that is more common in people who have served for our country or have had dramatic, shocking, and emotional events that they cannot get out of their mind. Some events may have to involve with death, injury, torture, or abuse. This disorder comes after the traumatic event has happened. “People that suffer from PTSD often must get outside help, because PTSD can affect people for years after the event occurs – possibly even the…

Words 216 - Pages 1

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

to protect itself from injury. However in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), this once healthy reaction has been altered or impaired. For instance, those who suffer with PTSD may feel anxious or alarmed when there is no longer any danger. PTDS arises after someone has experience an unusual life threatening event such as physical harm or the threat of…

Words 1009 - Pages 5