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Serious road accidents
Violent assaults
Sexual abuse
Military combat
Terrorist attacks

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Approximately 7.7 million Americans or 3.5% of the population in the United States suffer from PTSD. Of that percentage, the average age of onset is 19 years old between both men and women.

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According to studies in 2006 which took 25 years of information, women are twice as likely to meet the criteria to be diagnosed with PTSD. The data doesn't present higher sexual PTSD cases but happens to fall under other trauma categories.

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Seek help if your trauma:

Lasts longer than three months

Causes you great distress

Disrupts your work or home life

Makes you avoid situations that remind you of the trauma

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Criterion A (one required): The person was exposed to: death, threatened death, actual or threatened serious injury, or actual or threatened sexual violence, in the following way(s):

Direct exposure

Witnessing the trauma

Learning that a relative or close friend was exposed to a trauma

Indirect exposure to aversive details of the trauma, usually in the course of professional duties (e.g., first responders, medics)

Criterion B (one required): The traumatic event is persistently re-experienced, in the following way(s):

Unwanted upsetting memories

Nightmares

Flashbacks

Emotional distress after exposure to traumatic reminders

Physical reactivity after exposure to traumatic reminders

Criterion C (one required): Avoidance of trauma-related stimuli after the trauma, in the following way(s):

Trauma-related thoughts or feelings

Trauma-related reminders

Criterion D (two required): Negative thoughts or feelings that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s):

Inability to recall key features of the trauma

Overly negative thoughts and assumptions about oneself or the world

Exaggerated blame of self or others for causing the trauma

Negative affect

Decreased interest in activities

Feeling isolated

Difficulty experiencing positive affect

Criterion E (two required): Trauma-related arousal and reactivity that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s):

Irritability or aggression

Risky or destructive behavior

Hypervigilance

Heightened startle reaction

Difficulty concentrating

Difficulty sleeping

Criterion F (required): Symptoms last for more than 1 month.

Criterion G (required): Symptoms create distress or functional impairment (e.g., social, occupational).

Criterion H (required): Symptoms are not due to medication, substance use, or other illness.

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Traumatic events CAN cause changes to parts of the brain involved with expression of emotion like the Amygdala. The brain responds to these traumatic events by producing stress hormones. The Psychological response becomes hyperactive and you begin to present PTSD symptoms.

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Situations that are similar to or mimic the traumatic event may cause problems for the victim. The victim may experience flashbacks and anxiety at this point.

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Prolonged Exposure therapy
Cognitive processing therapy
Eye-movement Desensitization and reprocessing
therapy

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In order for someone to be diagnosed with PTSD, the victim must experience the distress for at least three months.

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During prolonged exposure therapy, the victim is taught how to gain control of their traumatic experience again. The victim does some of the things they have avoided since the traumatic experience in order to regain confidence. This therapy takes between 8-16 sessions depending on severity and can help people to overcome PTSD.

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This scene from the movie "American Sniper" shows a solider back from war suffering from PTSD. The scene shows how PTSD can effect the victim and people who interact with that person.

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Within this article, the reader can get a glimpse into the life of someone experiencing PTSD. The victim talks about some of the traumatic events that have attributed to her disorder and how they have changed her life. She talks about how she had to end her career because of the disorder and how unsafe she feels because of the traumas.

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It is a continuous challenge living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and I’ve suffered from it for most of my life. I can look back now and gently laugh at all the people who thought I had the perfect life. I was young, beautiful, and talented, but unbeknownst to them, I was terrorized by…

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The Premier PTSD treatment center "The Refuge" located near Ocala, Florida focuses on the rehabilitation of PTSD victims. "We begin the process of healing these emotions through a combination of clinical therapy, 12-step recovery, holistic approaches and experiential modalities. Trauma and PTSD treatment are visceral, sensory and cellular. Therapists at our treatment center build trust, create a safe environment, involve the family, and do not pass judgment. Our rehab center’s therapists are specifically trained in handling clients who suffer from trauma and PTSD."

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Trauma and PTSD may be acquired in a myriad of different ways and is not confined to sudden, dramatic events such as natural disasters. The emotional wounds may develop over time in long-lasting events such as recurring abandonment (emotional and physical) and more subtle forms of abuse. Our trauma and PTSD treatment center is designed to handle the issues our clients come to us with. Our treatment center's staff helps them develop more effective ways of coping that last a lifetime and evolve long after leaving our treatment center.

When events occur that make us feel extremely frightened, threatened, or distressed we may end up developing an emotional or psychological wound. Some people may be able to move beyond this experience with the help of friends, family, and an extensive support network. However, many people do not have these resources and end up feeling very alone. This can lead to an increasing inability to cope, function in important various areas of daily living, or maintain regular routines. Often trauma victims feel that no one can understand what they went through and the suffering they experience which can cause them to withdraw from loved ones. Conversely, loved ones may realize that something is wrong with their loved one and want to help but feel confused, rejected, and unsure of what they can do to help.

There is no "normal" way to react to trauma - each person is different. Some people try to repress or forget the event by distracting themselves with other activities. Others may focus on the traumatic event constantly. There may be a drive to remain continuously active to prevent unwanted thoughts from surfacing or an individual may become overwhelmed, paralyzed by intrusive thoughts they can't get out of their mind. Often individuals who have experienced trauma lose the ability to feel pleasure, leading to a lack of motivation to do much of anything. Some people may feel a sense of emotional numbness while others may experience emotional oversensitivity.

Often those who have survived one or more traumatic events don't fully realize the impact it is having on their lives. At our PTSD treatment center, we want you to know that you don't have to deal with trauma alone. We're here to help you through this troubled time. We see each resident as an individual with unique needs and recognize your desire to belong to a community that understands you. When you become a part of our rehab center's family, you will begin to replace the negative experiences you have lived through with the positive experiences of re-establishing positive relationships and the joy that life holds. Don't try to go at it alone. We're here to help.

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Premier PTSD Treatment Center | The Refuge

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Trauma and PTSD may be acquired in a myriad of different ways and is not confined to sudden, dramatic events such as natural disasters. The emotional wounds may develop over time in long-lasting events such as recurring abandonment (emotional and physical) and more subtle forms of abuse.

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IN this video, A victim of PTSD shows how this disorder is effecting his life negatively.

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“Cameron Page.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA,             adaa.org/living-with-     anxiety/personal-
stories/my-story-
survival-battling-ptsd.

NHS Choices, NHS,
www.nhs.uk/conditions/pos   t-traumatic-stress-        disorder-ptsd/causes/.

“PTSD: National Center for PTSD.” Negative Coping and PTSD - PTSD: National Center for PTSD, 10 June 2016,
www.ptsd.va.gov/professio   nal/ptsd-                    overview/dsm5_criteria_pts   d.asp.

“PTSD: National Center for PTSD.” Negative Coping and PTSD - PTSD: National Center for PTSD, 15 May 2012,

www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pt  sd-                  overview/basics/symptoms_o   f_ptsd.asp.