Many people have become familiar with the term PTSD and most associate it with military veterans. But what does PTSD stand for? PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, pretty much what the title says. What is it though? Well, to answer that I’ll refer you to the National Institute of Mental Health’s (NIMH) explanation:
When in danger, it’s natural to feel afraid. This fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to prepare to defend against the danger or to avoid it. This “fight-or-flight” response is a healthy reaction meant to protect a person from harm. But in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this reaction is changed or damaged. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they’re no longer in danger.
PTSD develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers.
There are a variety of reasons why someone can get PTSD, such as war, rape, child abuse, child neglect, mugging, torture, being kidnapped, car accident, train wreck, plane crash, a bombing, or natural disaster. Symptoms of PTSD usually begin within the first three months of the event, but in some cases it can emerge years later. For more information about PTSD, it’s symptoms, and treatment please visit the NIMH and the National Center for PTSD.
Hello PTSD 