Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Essay -- Post-traumatic stress

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis that was associated with survivors of war when it was first introduced. Its diagnosis was met largely with skepticism and dismissal by the public of the validity of the illness. PTSD was only widely accepted when it was included as a diagnosis in 1980 in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) of the American Psychiatric Association. PTSD is a complex mental disorder that develops in response to exposure to a severe traumatic event that stems a cluster of symptoms. Being afflicted with the disorder is debilitating, disrupting an individual’s ability to function and perform the most basic tasks. Who gets PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder can develop at any age, from childhood years to adulthood with any cultural, social, and economic background. Any individual that goes through a particular traumatic event can experience great stress and anxiety that can then develop into a post-traumatic stress disorder. Protective service men and women, victims of rape, abuse, and torture, as well as victims of natural disasters, accidents are examples of a mass variety of individuals that are touched by the post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD can be caused by witnessing or by being part of a traumatic event such as combat, torture, abuse, natural disaster, motor-vehicle accident and even a sudden loss of a loved one. Many factors play an important role to determining whether an individual is pre-disposed to PTSD. Risk factors are those that contribute to a person to have a higher prevalence of developing PTSD, while resilience factors help the individual to overcome trauma. Risk Factors Sin... ...of the individual to develop the disorder. Identification of individuals with PTSD is a complex decision to make, as there are many contributing factors for different people. However, treatments, prevention, and assessments of the disorder will be improved and enhanced in the near future. Works Cited Foa, E. B., Keane, T. M., Friedman, M. J., & Cohen, J. A. (2000). Effective treatments for PTSD: practice guidelines from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (Second Edition ed.). New York: Guilford Press. Reyes, G., Elhai, J. D., & Ford, J. D. (2008). The Encyclopedia of Psychological Trauma. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Violanti, J. M., & Paton, D. (2006). Who gets PTSD?. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C Thomas. Wilson, J. P., Friedman, M. J., & Lindy, J. D. (2001). Treating psychological trauma and PTSD. New York: Guilford Press.