Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay

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Most people in their lives will go through a traumatic event, whether it be war, violent acts, industrial accidents, sexual assault and other events that are outside the range of the usual human experience. This is often referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. Individuals who have experienced a traumatic event have most often responded in fear, helplessness, or horror and often relive through the moment of fear. It is commonly known to avoid anything that reminds the individual of the event since these memories can cause both emotional and physical reactions. Sometimes these memories can feel so real it is as if the event is actually happening again. People who expierence PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they …show more content…

This often leads to reduced participation in activities and hobbies that they used to enjoy before the trauma. This absence of shared enjoyable activities makes it difficult to have a normal family life. The partner is often left with the full burden of running the family. In some cases, a great deal of time is spent focusing on the Veteran's problems at the expense of the partner's needs. Traumatized people are often tired, due to disturbed sleep and depression, and can become cranky and irritable. The inability to get a good night's sleep frequently means that the person simply has less energy to offer the relationship. They may say hurtful things without really considering the implications of what they are saying. Traumatized people may try to compensate for their feelings of fear and vulnerability by using anger to pre-empt any perceived potential threat. As one Veteran stated "the best form of defense is attack." This fear can also motivate traumatized people to act in controlling ways toward family members in attempts to protect them from perceived dangers.Over a period of time, these problems with family and friends can severely erode trust and intimacy. Eventually, it may become too much for those close to the individual. Following trauma, the likelihood of separation and divorce is considerably

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