Can Anyone Have PTSD?

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) has historically been associated with combat veterans, but anyone can experience PTSD.  It is normal to have disruptions in life after a traumatic event.  According to the VA and Mayo Clinic, people may have trouble sleeping, nightmares, flashbacks, and anxiety, to name a few.  Most people begin to recover in weeks or months.  However, if symptoms worsen, or last for months or years, affect daily life, or recur years later, they may have PTSD.

The National Center for PTSD says that 6 out of 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in their lifetime. (NIMH).

There are 4 main symptoms that cause problems in social or work situations and interpersonal relationships, according to Mayo Clinic.  These symptoms can vary over time:

• Intrusive Memories or reliving the event, having nightmares or severe emotional or physical reactions to reminders of the event.
• Avoidance, which is serious enough to cause people to change their routines, or stay away from places, events or objects that remind them of the trauma.
• Negative changes in thinking and mood. According to Mayo Clinic, these changes may include negative thoughts about yourself, others and the world. Also, these changes may include ongoing negative emotions such as fear, blame, guilt, anger or shame. There may also be memory problems, lack of interest in previous activities, a feeling of detachment from family and friends, difficulty feeling positive emotions or feeling emotionally numb.
• Changes in physical and emotional reactions. These may include being easily startled, on edge, difficulty concentrating, trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, irritability, anger, aggressive outbursts.

Diagnosis of PTSD, according to NIMH, must have some of these symptoms for at least a month: at least 1 re-experiencing symptom, at least 1 avoidance symptom, at least 2 physical or emotional reactions, and at least 2 thinking or mood changes.

Remember that PTSD can occur in any age, children, teens or adults, but the symptoms may look different.  Children may revert to bedwetting, inability to talk, acting out the scary event, or being unusually clingy.  The NIMH says that teens act more like adults with disruptive, disrespectful or destructive behaviors.

Treatment may include cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and/or medications.  Other disorders occurring may also be treated such as panic disorder, depression, and substance abuse. (NIMH)

For more information, you may also want to watch this video.

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