In 1980, PTSD was first added to the third edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) by the American Psychiatric Association as stated by M.J. Friedman (2016). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of a traumatic event and has many symptoms and forms of treatment. A traumatic event can be defined as a life-threatening event such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or physical or sexual assault in adult or childhood. Examples of traumatic events include military combat, violent personal assault, being kidnapped, being taken hostage, and witnessing terrorist attacks. About 60% of men and 50%
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The sixth criterion concerns duration of symptoms; the seventh assesses functioning; and, the eighth criterion clarifies that symptoms cannot be due to a substance medical condition including other mental illnesses (2013).
The first criteria includes exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. The exposure is defined as directly experiencing a traumatic event, witnessing, in person, the event as it occurred to others, learning that the traumatic event occurred to a close family member or close friend, and experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event. In cases where the actual or threatened death of a family member or friend is witnessed, the event must have been violent or accidental. This criterion does not apply for events experienced through electronic devices such as cell phones or television, unless it is work related. The exposure to a traumatic event is what triggers one to develop PTSD and the symptoms of …show more content…
Doctors have not pinpointed the exact cause as to why some people develop PTSD. According to the Mayo Clinic, probable causes of PTSD include inherited mental and personality traits, a culmination of life experiences, and the way hormones and chemicals are regulated by the brain when responding to stress (Diseases and Conditions Post-traumatic stress disorder). Other possible causes include changes in the brain and adrenaline levels. Adrenaline levels come into play because when people are placed in dangerous situations, the body produces stress hormones such as adrenaline to trigger a reaction in the body. This reaction came to be known as the "fight or flight" reaction that helps dull pain and enhance senses. According to the article “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” it has been found that people with PTSD continue to produce high amounts of adrenaline even long after the dangerous event, which can be the cause for the numbed emotions and hyperarousal some people experience with PTSD (2015).
Changes in the brain may be a cause as well. The hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for memory and emotions, has been found to appear smaller in patients diagnosed with PTSD. Changes in this part of the brain related to fear and anxiety, memory problems and flashbacks may be a cause for PTSD (2015). The definite cause for PTSD has yet to be found. PTSD can also develop in
The sixth criterion concerns duration of symptoms; the seventh assesses functioning; and, the eighth criterion clarifies that symptoms cannot be due to a substance medical condition including other mental illnesses (2013).
The first criteria includes exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. The exposure is defined as directly experiencing a traumatic event, witnessing, in person, the event as it occurred to others, learning that the traumatic event occurred to a close family member or close friend, and experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event. In cases where the actual or threatened death of a family member or friend is witnessed, the event must have been violent or accidental. This criterion does not apply for events experienced through electronic devices such as cell phones or television, unless it is work related. The exposure to a traumatic event is what triggers one to develop PTSD and the symptoms of …show more content…
Doctors have not pinpointed the exact cause as to why some people develop PTSD. According to the Mayo Clinic, probable causes of PTSD include inherited mental and personality traits, a culmination of life experiences, and the way hormones and chemicals are regulated by the brain when responding to stress (Diseases and Conditions Post-traumatic stress disorder). Other possible causes include changes in the brain and adrenaline levels. Adrenaline levels come into play because when people are placed in dangerous situations, the body produces stress hormones such as adrenaline to trigger a reaction in the body. This reaction came to be known as the "fight or flight" reaction that helps dull pain and enhance senses. According to the article “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” it has been found that people with PTSD continue to produce high amounts of adrenaline even long after the dangerous event, which can be the cause for the numbed emotions and hyperarousal some people experience with PTSD (2015).
Changes in the brain may be a cause as well. The hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for memory and emotions, has been found to appear smaller in patients diagnosed with PTSD. Changes in this part of the brain related to fear and anxiety, memory problems and flashbacks may be a cause for PTSD (2015). The definite cause for PTSD has yet to be found. PTSD can also develop in