Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

We have a hard time dealing with daily stressors such as exams and work and sometimes we feel like it’s too much and we can’t handle it. I know I have felt this way at times. These forms of stress might not be as hard to handle as the stress someone who has PTSD has to deal with. In earlier years, PTSD was referred to as “soldier’s heart” in the American Civil War, “combat fatigue” in World War I, “gross stress reaction” in World War II, “post-Vietnam syndrome” in the Vietnam War, and others such as “battle fatigue or shell shock.” Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that can occur in people who have experienced terrifying unforgettable traumatic events or life threatening events.  Some events that may cause PTSD are war, rape, assault, car accidents, etc. Research has also shown that most PTSD victims have a smaller than average hippocampus. That would make people with a smaller hippocampus more vulnerable to PTSD.  People diagnosed with PTSD have symptoms for at least a month after the traumatic event and it can last up to years. Some of the symptoms according to an article, include reliving the event, avoidance of reminders of the events, and exaggerated arousal to many stimuli. I myself have been in a car accident which left me with some PTSD symptoms for a while. I was fearful of driving and would imagine at many times that cars were going to crash into me or that I would just somehow get into another accident. Although this wasn’t as severe as PTSD I can relate a little to these people and can imagine how hard it must be for them to deal with everyday stress and also deal with this disorder that haunts you everyday.