1. Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder
“PTSD is a whole-body tragedy, an integral human event of enormous proportions with massive repercussions.” - Susan Pease Banitt
By: Dominika Hernik

2. WHAT IS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?
Post-traumatic Stress is an anxiety disorder that can develop after someone witnesses trauma. It can happen to anyone at any point of their life
Also known as PTSD
Traumatic events that can lead to PTSD are: - Car/plane crash Death of a loved one kidnapping - Threats, abuse natural disasters and war assault
The diagnosis may be given when symptoms such as anxiety, reoccurring flashbacks, nightmares and anger occur weeks or even months after the event has taken place

3. causes
The most common cause of PTSD in men are associated with war veterans
In men, PTSD affects them in a way that many people don’t understand.
During war, being apart of it or witnessing the brutal and violent acts of battle can be a factor in the development of PTSD
There are many PTSD vets who have feelings of aggression towards others, and may suffer feelings of guilt and may feel afraid or feel that they have no control over what is happening
During this type of event, the Veteran believes his/her life or others are in danger.

4. CAUSES
The most common cause of PTSD are women who have experienced some form of abuse; whether it is physical, mental or sexual
Researchers began to study the effects of sexual assault and found that women's reactions were similar to male veterans
Women tend to experience different traumas than men. Both men and women go through the same symptoms of PTSD although some of the symptoms are more common in women than men
Women might get PTSD more than men because they are more likely to experience sexual assault and may be more likely to blame themselves for trauma experiences than men.

5. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
Post-traumatic Stress has a number of symptoms that can make the person realize they need help. These symptoms include:
Upsetting memories of the event
Nightmares, flashbacks as if you’re reliving the trauma
Feelings of detachment from others ex. friends, family
Depression, anxiety, sadness, anger, feeling scared
Physical aches and pains
Suicidal thoughts

6. Symptoms
PTSD symptoms usually start soon after the traumatic event, but they may not occur until months or years later. If the symptoms last longer than 4 weeks and cause great pain, or interfere with work or home life, the individual probably has Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.
Reliving the event: - may feel the same fear and horror as when the event took place. - He/she may have nightmares or flashbacks - sometimes there are triggers- light or sounds that make the person remember the event
Ex. Seeing a car accident, which can remind a crash survivor of his or her own accident
Ex. Seeing a news report of a sexual assault, which may bring back memories of assault for a woman who was raped

7. Symptoms cont’d
2. Avoiding situations about the event: - the individual may try to avoid situations or people that trigger memories of the traumatic experience - may even avoid talking or detaching themselves from friends and family
Ex: Some people keep busy doing things or avoid seeking help. This keeps them from having to think or talk about it
Ex: A person who was in an earthquake may avoid watching television shows or movies where there are earthquakes
3. Feeling numb:
The person may have a hard time expressing feelings to others
The person may not have the same interests or be into the same activities
Feelings of depression overwhelm them and want to be alone

8. Support system: family
Three types of support systems that can help PTSD patients are: family members, therapists and support groups.
A support system is essential to the person to get back on track and to get better
Family is the number one source
Family therapy can show the person that they are loved and not alone and everyone involved can communicate better and work together as a family to deal with the pain that the person is going through

9. Support system: therapy
Therapists and doctors are another source of treatment. They are specialized to treat people with disorders to get them to talk about their thoughts and feelings
In therapy, the patients can learn how to cope with the situation and build relationships with others
Therapists make their patients under go certain therapies called: Cognitive therapy (CT), Exposure therapy (ET) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Cognitive therapy helps patients understand and change how they think about the trauma and its aftermath. The goal is to understand how certain thoughts about the trauma cause stress and make the symptoms worse.
The Exposure therapy goal is to have less fear about memories. People will learn that they don’t have to be afraid of memories.
EMDR is another type of therapy for Post traumatic Stress. While thinking of or talking about memories, the person is focused on the therapist moving his/her hand or sound gestures and the person follows the movement with their eyes.

10. Support system: support groups
Support groups are another form of PTSD treatment where individuals can talk to people who have experienced the same type of trauma
Sharing the story with others may help them feel more comfortable talking about their trauma. This can help them cope with their symptoms, memories, and other parts of their life
Group therapy helps build relationships with others who understand what they have been through. They learn to deal with emotions such as shame, guilt, anger, rage, and fear.
Sharing with the group also can help build self-confidence and trust. They will learn to focus on present life, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the past

11. Treatment: medication
There is no clear drug treatment
Medication can be used to reduce PTSD symptoms
Anti-depressants and Antipsychotics are the main drug categories that are commonly used for patients who are experiencing mood issues, aggression, sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression

12. PTSD by the numbers
According to the military PTSD can affect anyone in the world, not just soldiers
2.2% or 7.7 million people are affected that aren’t veterans
11-20% of the population are veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who experience PTSD
55-70% of the population will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime

13. Why did I choose this topic?
Car accidents, deaths, natural disasters will never stop and people will keep getting diagnosed with PTSD. I wanted to find out how soldiers deal coming back from war. The things they see and experience is rough and its important to recognize that.
It was interesting while researching about how people seek treatment in different ways