What is ptsd?
PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder, is a psychological disorder that is diagnosed
to people who have been exposed to life-threatening events or traumatic experiences.
Some common symptoms of PTSD are nightmares, night terrors, flashbacks to the
event, insomnia, irritability, depression, suicidal thought or actions, and the feeling of
constantly being on guard. These urges do last forever, and can not be treated.
Some objects that trigger these symptoms are fireworks, pictures, car noises, the
news, and certain scents.
Author Harold Cohen, Ph.D., wrote a fictional story about a military veteran named
Joe who struggles with the mental health condition everyday due to witnessing
a close comrade named Gary meet his end. Cohen writes, “Scenes from battle would run
repeatedly through his mind and disrupt his focus on work. Filling up at the gas
station, for example, the smell of diesel immediately rekindled certain horrific
memories...When he heard loud noises, such as a truck backfiring he literally jumped,
as if he were readying himself for combat” (Cohen, H. (2016). Two Stories of PTSD. Psych
Central. Retrieved on October 7, 2016, from
http://psychcentral.com/lib/two-stories-of-ptsd/). Though this story may be fictional, it
gives a real insight to what people with PTSD struggle with each and every day. PTSD
completely disrupts and puts a stop to a person’s daily life.
to people who have been exposed to life-threatening events or traumatic experiences.
Some common symptoms of PTSD are nightmares, night terrors, flashbacks to the
event, insomnia, irritability, depression, suicidal thought or actions, and the feeling of
constantly being on guard. These urges do last forever, and can not be treated.
Some objects that trigger these symptoms are fireworks, pictures, car noises, the
news, and certain scents.
Author Harold Cohen, Ph.D., wrote a fictional story about a military veteran named
Joe who struggles with the mental health condition everyday due to witnessing
a close comrade named Gary meet his end. Cohen writes, “Scenes from battle would run
repeatedly through his mind and disrupt his focus on work. Filling up at the gas
station, for example, the smell of diesel immediately rekindled certain horrific
memories...When he heard loud noises, such as a truck backfiring he literally jumped,
as if he were readying himself for combat” (Cohen, H. (2016). Two Stories of PTSD. Psych
Central. Retrieved on October 7, 2016, from
http://psychcentral.com/lib/two-stories-of-ptsd/). Though this story may be fictional, it
gives a real insight to what people with PTSD struggle with each and every day. PTSD
completely disrupts and puts a stop to a person’s daily life.