Post-traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD is a mental illness that affects eight million adults each year in the United States. It can be a very unpredictable illness because it can happen at any time and anywhere. If you or one of your family members has this illness you must be very careful for anything that can trigger his or her illness. Usually people that have PTSD know that they have a problem and people around them can tell too. This mental illness can have a negative impact not only on the person that has it but it can affect the people and loved ones around him. PTSD Definition This illness usually affects people that have suffered a very dangerous and life threatening event. Even though it is perfectly normal for people that have suffered …show more content…
If the person continues to have and show a great fear towards the event after three months he or she can be diagnosed with PTSD. Example of people that get PTSD are military service people, emergency responder, women that have been raped, and children that have been abused of. Symptoms There can be hundreds of affects that PTSD can have in a person’s life, but doctors have narrowed it down to four main symptoms. These symptoms are usually put through a trial period for a month. Doctors also ask family how he acts, how he is, and if he or she has changed at all. The first symptom that needs to be found is re-experience. This means that they either have a flashback, vision, or nightmare about the event. This specific symptom is difficult to deal with because there can be an infinite number of triggers that can make a person think back to the terrible event. Anything from words, smell, things they see, and things they touch. Sometimes seeing this specific event as a flashback can make you feel like you are reliving it repeatedly. The second symptom is avoidance and this symptom can affect a person’s daily routine. The patients try avoid activities or places that may