PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder, is a mental disorder in which someone develops after experincing a dramatic or several dramatic situations.
It is not uncommon for PTSD to trigger in the minds of veterans once they have returned home.
This disorder can prohibit veterans from preforming every day tasks such as socializing, working, and enjoying every day life.
Symptoms are usually present in three main forms:
1. Reliving the trauma and becoming upset when confronted with a traumatic reminder or when thinking about the trauma while trying to do something else.
2. Either staying away from places or people that remind oneself of the trauma, isolating from other people, or feeling numb.
3. The third set of symptoms includes things such as feeling on guard, irritable, or startling easily.
How Prevalent?
PTSD currently or at some point has affected roughly 30% of men and woman who have spent time in war zones. It has affected nearly 20 % of veterans who took part in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, roughly 30% of all Vietnam veterans suffer or suffered from PTSD, and about 12% of Gulf War veterans.
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