About PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

Just the Facts

Since October 2001, approximately 1.6 million U.S. troops have deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. More than 300,000 returning service members currently have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression or both.*

*Please note that the information on this website is no substitute for informed medical advice. This content is for educational purposes only. If you have cause to believe you have PTSD, consult a qualified health care provider.

What is PTSD? A Definition:

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a persistent anxiety disorder that is the result of a profoundly disturbing life experience. These traumatic events tend to be overwhelming in their severity so that the individual feels powerless, a victim of circumstance, and in imminent danger of profound harm and/or death.

These events can include: military combat, kidnapping, terrorist attacks, serious accidents, natural disasters and sexual or physical assaults as a child or adult.
You may be suffering PTSD if these disruptive feelings of fear, anger and confusion persist and, rather than going away, they become more pronounced.

How do you get PTSD?

Each person is different and responds differently to traumatic events. PTSD happens when the severity of the experience causes changes in the brain.

How do I know if I have PTSD?

The rule of thumb: You may have PTSD if the symptoms were triggered by a profoundly frightening and horrific event. If these symptoms persist for more than 4 weeks, cause you great distress, and interfere with your work and/or home life, you probably have PTSD.

What are the symptoms of PTSD?

PTSD symptoms are also somewhat variable and sometimes take months or even years to manifest themselves, but generally start soon after the traumatic event.

Typically they fall into four areas: flashback, avoidance, depression, and hyper arousal.

FLASHBACKS:
Bad memories come as nightmares or reliving the event, and are often accompanied by the same fear and horror as occurred in the original event. Sometimes flashbacks are trigged by sights, smells or sounds that causes you to flashback.

AVOIDANCE:
You may try to stay away from people, places or things that trigger memories of the traumatic event. Combat veterans often avoid talking or thinking about the event.

DEPRESSION:
You may feel emotionally numb towards people and the world, unable to show love and affection, seeking isolation and losing interest in activities and relationships that once defined you as a person.

HYPER AROUSAL:
This is cluster of symptoms that come from high levels of anxiety, and may include: having a difficult time falling or staying asleep, feeling irritable or having outbursts of anger, having difficulty concentrating, feeling constantly "on guard" or like danger is lurking around every corner, being "jumpy" or easily startled.

Related Issues

People with combat related PTSD often feel their problems are shameful and a sign of weakness. They may also have related problems such as feelings of hopelessness, shame, or despair that can lead to alcohol and drug abuse, relationship and employment dysfunction, violence and physical ailments.

What You Can Do

Over a period of time, two-thirds of people who develop PTSD get better. However, people with disruptive, frightening symptoms can get effective treatment, and it does not have to interfere with your everyday life.

Three effective treatments are:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EDRM)
A drug known as a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)

For an excellent review of treatments for PTSD, what to expect and how long they take:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/treatment-ptsd.asp

For More Information

Contact the National Center for PTSD, a leading expert on PTSD and traumatic stress.
Online: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/
Email: ncptsd@va.gov
Call: The PTSD Information Line at (802) 296-6300

A Serious Problem

Unless treated, PTSD and/or depression can have far-reaching, negative consequences, including: Social dysfunction, alcohol and drug dependency, elevated rates of suicide, violent behaviors, physical and emotional health problems and lower productivity. The estimated cost to the U.S. over the next two years is $6.2 billion.*

MOUSETYPE: *Source: April 2008 RAND Corporation Report

What Does PTSD Look Like?

A Case Study

If you have never had or been around a person with PTSD, you may be wondering what it's like. Here's an excerpt from the National Public Radio story " Iraq Veteran Suffers Wounds That Can't Be Seen."

Blaufus' mother, Anne, says things changed when her son was discharged.
"When he first got home, he was sleeping on the floor in the living room," she says. "When he did sleep, he would sleepwalk. In fact, he'd get up and run outside, run into the street thinking he was in Iraq. He still does that."

Although Anne Blaufus is a trauma nurse, she wasn't prepared for the extent of her son's injuries. He's unable to focus. He has difficulty driving; tailgaters are a problem. He goes long stretches without eating or showering. Anne insisted he find a therapist immediately.

In the year after his return, Blaufus repeatedly enrolled in college classes and then dropped out. He got married four months after coming home, to a woman who left him shortly afterward. Looking back, Blaufus says the war changed everything.

Click here to read or listen to the entire story:
National Public Radio "Iraq Veteran Suffers Wounds That Can't Be Seen"

HEAD: The Solution

Back to Life: A Plan to Transition Veterans Back Into Society

Veterans need and deserve effective care so that they can become productive members of society, however, this can be an expensive and complex process.

"Back to Life" is based on a cost-effective therapeutic process with a 25+ year track record. It enables people to transition through the emotional and psychological problems associated with disability and become fully engaged in life in a manner that is self-fulfilling and productive. The bottom line: Back to Life is cost-effective and it works.

Learn More About the Back to Life Pilot Program at Idaho State University

I'm Stepping Up to Help Returning Veterans

Tell me more