PTSD occurs in people who go through extreme emotional trauma involving a perceived threat of death or severe injury. It is a debilitating disorder that causes a person to relive the traumatic event in the form of nightmares or disturbing visual flashbacks throughout the day. Other possible symptoms of PTSD include, but are not limited to, anxiety, depression, emotional numbness, insomnia, aggressiveness, or irritability.
PTSD is most often associated with veterans who experienced extreme brutality in war, but it can also be brought on by traumatic events such as rape, physical assault, car accidents, or any other devastating experience that throws a person into a state of shock. A person can also develop symptoms of PTSD from trauma of mild to moderate stress that is chronic or common in occurrence, such as the stress experienced by individuals with chronic and debilitating illnesses.
