Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects 7.7 million American adults and can also occur during childhood. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that stems from a recent emotional threat such as a natural, disaster, war, and car accidents. PTSD usually occurs from an injury or coming close death. A person who has experienced a past traumatic event has a heightened chance of being diagnosed with PTSD after a current trauma. PTSD can also be determined by looking at one’s genes, different emotions, and current or past family setting. Normally, when a person without PTSD goes through a traumatic event the body releases stress hormones, which in time returns back to normal; However, a person with PTSD releases stress hormones that do not return back to normal and soon begin to release them more frequently (“Post-Traumatic Stress” 1). PTSD usually begins within the first three months. One usually begins to notice between the period of two days and four weeks.

PTSD does not have one specific cause. In fact, it has several causes. One cause being a small area in the brain that processes and regulates fear called the amygdala. This is a relatively new cause of many that are being researched. Some of the research has found that a person’s fear response comes from the amygdala, which then ties in to how PTSD works (“Post-Traumatic Stress” 2). If a person experiences a traumatic event the amygdala can spin its gears and trigger more and more fear which stays in the mind. One then begins to relive that traumatic event over and over with heightened fear from the amygdala.

Another cause would be a person’s family background. By looking at one’s past you can quickly discern who is more likely to develop PTSD in light of a traumatic even...

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...ion is to let the PTSD sufferer know that they have someone who will be there for them to help guide and support them throughout the dealing of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Works Cited

Martin, Ben. “In-Depth: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.” Psych Central. NRelate. 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 16 March. 2014.

“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” The New York Times. New York Times. 8 March. 2013. n.p. Web. 26 March. 2014.

“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Psychology Today. Psychology Today. 19 June. 2010. Web. 30 March. 2014.

“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” U.S. National Library of Medicine. X-Plain Patient Education. 21 June. Web. 26 March. 2014.

Rosen, Marvin. Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2003. Print.

Smith, Melinda, and Jeanne Segal. “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).” Helpguide.org. n.p. March. 2014. Web. 1 April. 2014.