Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Factsheet
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder, can be an extremely debilitating condition that can occur after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Families of victims may also develop the disorder. About 3.6 percent of American adults ages 18 to 54 suffer from PTSD in a given year.
Traumatic events that can trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults such as rape or mugging, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat. Those who may develop PTSD include military troops who served in Vietnam or the Gulf War; rescue workers involved in the aftermath of disasters like the Oklahoma City bombing; survivors of accidents, rape, physical and sexual abuse, and other crimes; immigrants fleeing violence in their countries; survivors of the 1994 California earthquake, the 1997 South Dakota floods, and hurricanes Hugo and Andrew; and people who witness traumatic events.
What Are the Symptoms of PTSD?
Many people with PTSD repeatedly re-experience the ordeal in the form of flashback episodes, memories, nightmares, or frightening thoughts, especially when they are exposed to events or objects reminiscent of the trauma. Anniversaries of the event can also trigger symptoms. People with PTSD also experience emotional numbness and sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety, and irritability or outbursts of anger.
Feelings of intense guilt are also common. Most people with PTSD try to avoid any reminders or thoughts of the ordeal. PTSD is diagnosed when symptoms last more than 1 month.
What Treatments Are Available for PTSD?
Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, and exposure therapy, in which the patient repeatedly relives the frightening experience under controlled conditions to help him or her work through the trauma. Studies have also shown that medications help ease associated symptoms of depression and anxiety and help promote sleep.
Some studies show that debriefing people very soon after a catastrophic event may reduce some of the symptoms of PTSD. A study of 12,000 school children who lived through a hurricane in Hawaii found that those who got counseling early on did much better 2 years later than those who did not receive counseling.
Do Other Illnesses Tend to Accompany PTSD?
Co-occurring depression, alcohol or other substance abuse, or another anxiety disorder are not uncommon. The likelihood of treatment success is increased when these other conditions are appropriately diagnosed and treated as well.
Headaches, gastrointestinal complaints, immune system problems, dizziness, chest pain, or discomfort in other parts of the body are common. Often, doctors treat the symptoms without being aware that they stem from PTSD.
Who Is Most Likely to Develop PTSD?
People who have been abused as children or who have had other previous traumatic experiences are most likely to develop the disorder. Research is continuing to pinpoint other factors that may lead to PTSD.
It used to be believed that people who tend to be emotionally numb after a trauma were showing a healthy response, but now some researchers suspect that people who experience this emotional distancing may be more prone to PTSD.
For More Information
Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General can be viewed at www.surgeongeneral.gov
The Anxiety Disorders Education Program,
National Institute of Mental Health,
6001 Executive Blvd., Room 8184, MSC 9663,
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
Phone: 301-443-4513.
Toll-free: 1-88-88-ANXIETY (1-888-826-9438)
TTY: 301-443-8431
NIMH Anxiety Disorders web site: www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/anxietymenu.cfm
This site is also hotlinked to the web site for the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder of the Department of Veterans Affairs at www.ncptsd.org
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Mental Health Services
Office of External Liaison
Room 15C-05, Parklawn Building
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
Phone: 301-443-2792
FAX: 301-443-5163
SAMHSA home page address: www.samhsa.gov
CMHS Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN)
P.O. Box 42490
Washington, DC 20015
Phone: 1-800-789-2647
FAX: 301-984-8796
KEN home page address: www.mentalhealth.org
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Mental Health: The Cornerstone of Health
Home page address: www.mentalhealth.org/cornerstone
