Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was popularized as a term to describe the cluster of symptoms displayed by many returning soldiers from the Viet Nam War. This terminology replaced the older terms “combat fatigue” (WWII) and “shell-shocked” (WWI).

When the human organism is faced with an overwhelming situation that feels life-threatening, it exceeds the person’s capacity to emotionally process it. Flashbacks which recall the traumatic event in vivid detail may occur; lack of concentration, depression, fearfulness, phobic responses to similar situations, and dissociation (emotionally checking-out) may also be features of PTSD.

Psychotherapy may be helpful for persons suffering from PTSD; it is often useful to talk about the event with a “safe” person, who is a trained professional. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a promising new treatment that often rapidly alleviates PTSD symptoms.

These books are recommended resources for information about PTSD – symptoms, effective treatments and coping strategies for patients and families.

See also: Recovery from Child Abuse; Yoga and Pilates