PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Article
Self Help Article
by David Yarian, Ph.D.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD - 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).
One does not have to be a combat veteran to have PTSD, or a milder version of the same phenomenon. Anyone who has experienced traumatic events or who has had a visceral response of shock, horror, or terror to an event is likely to have experienced it.
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.
The self help books in this section, PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are recommended resources for information about PTSD – symptoms, effective treatments and coping strategies for patients and families.
See also: Recovery from Childhood Abuse; Yoga and Pilates
