Among the many stressful experiences of living, we may be faced with extraordinary circumstances that leave us feeling terrified, powerless, and/or horrified in the face of threatened or actual injury or death.

Examples of traumatic events include:
terrorist attacks natural disaster catastrophe caused by human error catastrophe caused by failed equipment physical or sexual assault; rape robbery/mugging motor vehicle accident		witnessed violence, injury, or death combat, torture, or imprisonment threats of harm to self or loved ones domestic violence and abuse destruction of one's home

Symptoms of Stress Reactions:
Not everyone experiences the following symptoms. Some people may experience a few and others may experience many. Severity of symptoms varies with individuals.

PTSD is a complex disorder that can impact many areas of a person's life, including relationships and day-to-day functioning. Some of the symptoms can be very dramatic, including sudden memories (flashbacks) that make the person feel as if he or she is suffering the event all over again. Other symptoms are more subtle, but equally devastating. These include a sensation of numbness or detachment that might keep the sufferer from feeling close to their loved ones.

Many people who suffer from PTSD expect that it will "go away" on its own. Sometimes people think that they deserve the pain they are experiencing because they may blame themselves for the traumatic event that occurred. Some people just try to avoid thinking about the event and attempt to return to their "normal" lives, but they find that PTSD symptoms begin to intrude on what they used to consider normal. For example, the sufferer may begin to get headaches, feel more angry or impatient with others, feel more jumpy, or more distracted. He or she may feel more isolated or alone. In fact, some people who have PTSD never even make the connection between the symptoms listed in the chart above and the traumatic event that they suffered.

PTSD is treatable!