REACTIONS TO TRAUMA-INDUCED STRESS

SHOCK( TO POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

The concept that exposure to war, one of the most stressful events experienced by human beings, can lead to the development in some persons of a form of mental illness is not new (Mareth and Brooker 186). While one manifestation of this phenomenon, (shell shock,( was recognized prior to the twentieth century, however, individuals suffering from its effects typically were not perceived as victims of some form of mental illness. Instead, as in the Civil War in the United States, these sufferers were usually regarded as cowards and were punished, at times even executed as deserters (Talbott 41).

Studies of veterans of the Vietnam War led to the recognition of severe reactions to war-related trauma-induced stress as a specific, defined mental disorder. Many of those exposed to the Vietnam War had flashbacks during which they relived their past war experiences as if those experiences were occurring in the present (Mareth and Brooker 188). The disorder now had a name, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), with symptoms including recurring memories of and nightmares about combat, sleep difficulties, over-reactions to sudden noises or other startling events, and a numbing of emotions (Bower 229). Sufferers also frequently exhibit comorbid psychiatric disorders such as depression, other anxiety disorders, and alcohol and other substance abuse and

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fiable symptoms of PTSD (American Psychiatric Association 424-428). For individuals with PTSD, the traumatic event remains a dominating psychological experience that retains its power to evoke panic, terror, dread, grief, or despair, sometimes for decades or a lifetime. This may be manifested in daytime fantasies, traumatic nightmares, or psychotic reenactments known as PTSD flashbacks. Further, traumatic stimuli that trigger recollections of the original event have the power to evoke mental images, emotional responses, and psychological reactions associated with the trauma (Keane, Wolfe, and Taylor 32). The avoidant/numbing criterion consists of symptoms reflecting behavioral, cognitive, or emotional strategies by which PTSD patients attempt to reduce the likelihood that they will either expose themselves to traumatic stimuli, or if exposed, will minimize the intensity of their psychological response (American Psychiatric Association 424-428). Behavioral strategies include avoiding any situation in which they perceive a risk of confronting such stimuli. In its most extreme manifestation, avoidant behavior may superficially resemble agoraphobia because the PTSD individual is afraid to leave the house for fear of confrontin
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Approximate Word count = 5485
Approximate Pages = 22 (250 words per page)

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