Understanding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has garnered a lot of attention over the past few years, mostly in regards to it being something that veterans who have served in Afghanistan or Iraq have had to deal with once they leave the military and are back home in the US. PTSD isn't something that isn't just strictly limited to military veterans however, as people can acquire this mental health problem in a variety of ways. This webquest will be dedicated to help people understand how this issue comes about and what can be done to treat it.

The tasks at hand for this webquest include:

• Defining PTSD
• Learning about how PTSD is acquired
• Learning about how PTSD is treated

PTSD is defined as a mental health disorder in which people who have been in traumatic or life-threatening situations still feel and experience the stress from that situation at least three months after the traumatic event occurred. Some of the most common ways people acquire PTSD is through things such as traffic accidents, sexual assault, and active warfare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMC2jt_QVEE

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-pt…

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/index.asp

There are four main symptoms that come along through PTSD. These symptoms include:

• Re-living the event (having nightmares, flashbacks, etc.)
• Avoiding situations that might remind someone of the traumatic event (avoiding large crowds, driving, seeking help, etc.)
• Negative changes in beliefs and feelings (strained relationships at home, believing the world is dangerous, forgetting parts of the traumatic event)
• Hyperarousal (feeling jittery, always on alert, trouble falling asleep, reacting angerly in most situations)

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/symptoms_of_ptsd.asp

There are a lot of different ways that people can go about treating PTSD. Some of these treatments include:

• Behavioral therapy (cognitive therapy, exposure therapy, EMDR, etc.)
• Medication (taking medication that is used for things like depression)
• Group therapy (sharing your traumatic event with a group of people who have faced similar situations)

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/treatment/therapy-med/treatment-ptsd.asp

Questions:

1. What kinds of events lead up to people suffering from things like PTSD?
2. What are some of the symptoms that people who have PTSD experience?
3. What kinds of treatments are available for people who suffer from PTSD?

To conclude, PTSD is a very severe mental disorder that can affect a lot of people in a lot of ways. It can cause a lot of damage for not only the people who suffer from it, but also that person's loved ones who care a lot about that person. Once that person seeks help, they can finally be at peace and will no longer have to worry about what they had experienced in the past.