Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is a mental condition triggered by a traumatic event that causes victims to experience recurrent flashbacks of the event followed by acute stress, anxiety, fear and panic. This lingering and debilitating stress can cause a series of psychological and biological changes. Unlike any other Psychiatric disorder, PTSD is triggered due to an unexpected and fearful stimuli in the environment – for instance a distressing event like domestic violence or sexual assault, serious accidents, natural calamities like a tornado, or  earthquake or even terrorist attacks like the infamous 9/11.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was formally recognized as a mental disorder after the famous Vietnam War, where soldiers appeared to be in ‘shell shock’ even after they left the war zone, fearfully recalling the  trauma of combat, and unable to adjust to life afterwards.

Fearful experiences during natural disasters - tornadoes, tsunami, and earthquake leave victims devastated and prone to PTSD symptoms. Fear for their life and a sense of acute danger during the event gets etched in their memory, haunting them incessantly.  Victims are unable to lead a normal life.

Is it necessary to seek medical care?

Traumatic events do cause distress to most of us, but many bounce back from the trauma after a brief period of agony. For some, the memories linger and cause a problem in their day to day functioning. If symptoms last more than a month and begins to affect job performance or normal functioning, then it is time to consult a mental health specialist.