SolveYourProblem Article Series: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

Have you lived through a scary or dangerous event?
  

Does This Sound Like You?

• Sometimes, all of a sudden, I feel like the event is happening over again. I never know when this will occur.
• I have nightmares and bad memories of the terrifying event.
• I stay away from places that remind me of the event.
• I jump and feel very upset when something happens without warning.
• I have a hard time trusting or feeling close to other people.
• I get mad very easily.
• I feel guilty because others died and I lived.
• I have trouble sleeping and my muscles are tense.

If so, you might have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Events that might cause PTSD include war, rape, physical abuse, an airplane crash, car crash or other horrific event. For most people, PTSD starts about three months after the event. However, sometimes signs of PTSD show up years later. PTSD can happen to anyone, even children.

You are not alone. In any year, 5.2 million Americans have PTSD.

Many people who have been through a frightening experience.
It’s not your fault and you don’t have to suffer.

You can get PTSD after you have been:

• Raped or sexually abused
• Hit or harmed by someone in your family
• A victim of a violent crime
• In an airplane or car crash
• In a hurricane, tornado, or fire
• In a war,
• In an event where you thought you might be killed, or
• After you have seen any of these events.

If you have PTSD, you often have nightmares or scary thoughts about the experience you went through. You try to stay away from anything that reminds you of your experience.

You may feel angry and unable to trust or care about other people. You may always be on the lookout for danger. You can feel very upset when something happens suddenly or without warning.

Below are resources, publications and fact sheets to help you.
   

Start Here:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  Interactive Tutorial (Patient Education Institute)
  - Requires Flash Player
  >>Also available in Spanish
     
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, A Real Illness From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Mental Health)
      1. What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
      2. When does PTSD start and how long does it last?
      3. Am I the only person with this illness?
      4. What can I do to help myself?
      5. What can a doctor or counselor do to help me?
          >> Here is one person’s story.
          >> Remember — you can get help now.
  
  
• What Can I Do If I Think I Have PTSD?
  (National Center for PTSD)
  

• Common Reactions After Trauma
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• JAMA Patient Page: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
  (American Medical Association)
  > Also available in Spanish
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  (American Academy of Family Physicians)
  > Also available in Spanish

Latest News

• Past Child Abuse Plus Variations in Gene Result in Potent PTSD Risk for Adults
  (03/18/2008, National Institute of Mental Health)
• Substance Abusers with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Face Poorer Outcomes
  (03/04/2008, HealthDay)
• PTSD a Risk Factor for Long-Term Disease
  (02/13/2008, HealthDay)
• Concussion Raises PTSD Risk for Iraq Vets
  (01/30/2008, HealthDay)
• More News on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Diagnosis & Symptoms

• Effects of Traumatic Stress in a Disaster Situation
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• FAQs about PTSD Assessment
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• How Is PTSD Measured
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)

Treatment

• Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress and Dissociative Conditions: What to Look for and How to Choose a Therapist
  (Sidran Institute)
• Treatment of PTSD
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)

Coping

• Coping with PTSD and Recommended Lifestyle Changes for PTSD Patients
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• Having Trouble Coping? There Is Hope
  (Center for Mental Health Services) - PDF Format
• In the Wake of Trauma: Tips for College Students
  (Center for Mental Health Services) - PDF Format
• Managing Stress and Recovering from Trauma: Facts and Resources for Veterans and Families
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• Managing Traumatic Stress: Tips for Recovering from Disasters and Other Traumatic Events
  (American Psychological Association)
• Tips for Survivors of a Traumatic Event: Managing Your Stress
  (Center for Mental Health Services) - PDF Format

Specific Conditions

• Complex PTSD
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• Dealing with Trauma: Frightening Events Can Have Lasting Effects
  (National Institutes of Health)
• Post-Traumatic Stress After a Traffic Accident
  (American Academy of Family Physicians)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Cancer Survivors
  (National Cancer Institute)

Related Issues

• Answers in the Aftermath
  (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
• Disaster Rescue and Response Workers
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• Discussing Trauma and PTSD with Your Doctor
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• Finding a PTSD Therapist
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• PTSD and Physical Health
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• PTSD and Suicide
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• PTSD and the Family
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• Returning from the War Zone: A Guide for Families of Military Personnel
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• Returning from the War Zone: A Guide for Military Personnel
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs) - PDF Format
• Sleep and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
• Trauma and Relationships
  (International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies)
• Trauma, Loss and Traumatic Grief
  (International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies)
• Traumatic Stress and Substance Use Problems
  (International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies)

Videos

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  (Healthy Roads Media) - Requires Flash Player
  > Also available in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  (National Institutes of Health)

Research

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Research
  (National Institute of Mental Health)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  (National Institutes of Health) - PDF Format

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: High prevalence rates of diabetes and hypertension among refugee psychiatric...
• Article: Mild traumatic brain injury in U.S. Soldiers returning from Iraq.
• Article: Processing bias for terror-related stimuli and September 11th-related distress in...
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder -- see more articles

Dictionaries/Glossaries

• Dissociative Disorders Glossary
  (Sidran Institute)

Directories

• Mental Health Services Locator
  (Center for Mental Health Services)

Organizations

• Center for Mental Health Services
• National Center for PTSD
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• National Institute of Mental Health

Statistics

• How Common Is PTSD?
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)

Children

• For Parents: Childhood Traumatic Grief Educational Materials
  (National Child Traumatic Stress Network) - Large PDF file
• Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters: What Parents Can Do
  (National Institute of Mental Health)
• Resources for Helping Children Cope with Trauma and Death
  (NYU Child Study Center) - Large PDF file
• Understanding Child Traumatic Stress
  (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
  > Also available in Spanish

Teenagers

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
  (Nemours Foundation)

Women

• Women, Trauma and PTSD
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)

Seniors

• PTSD and Older Veterans
  (National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs)