CASSIE FOSTER

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS

DISORDER (PTSD)
WHAT IS PTSD?

PTSD IS A DISORDER
CHARACTERIZED BY FAILURE TO
RECOVER AFTER EXPERIENCING OR
WITNESSING A TERRIFYING EVENT
HOW DOES A PERSON GET THE CONDITION?

A PERSON CAN GET PTSD FROM

EXPERIENCING OR WITNESSING A
TERRIFYING EVENT
HOW DOES A PERSON GET THE CONDITION?

EXAMPLES:
BEING INVOLVED IN, OR WITNESSING A CAR ACCIDENT.

UNDERGOING MAJOR SURGERY.

EXPERIENCING OR WITNESSING NATURAL DISASTERS

VIOLENT CRIMES ( KIDNAPPING, ASSULT, MURDER OF A

PARENT OR LOVED ONE, ETC.)

COMMUNITY VIOLENCE ( ATTACKS AT SCHOOL, SUSIDE OF

FRIEND, FAMILY MEMBER ETC.)

RAPE
HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE BODY/MIND? (SYMPTOMS)

THESE SYMPTOMS MIGHT INCLUDE NIGHTMARES OR

FLASHBACKS, AVOIDANCE OF SITUATIONS THAT BRING BACK
THE TRAMA, HEIGHTENED REACTIVITY TO STIMULI, ANXIETY,
OR DEPRESSED MOOD.
 HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE BODY/MIND (SYMPTOMS)

EXAMPLES:
BEHAVORIAL: AGITATION, IRRTABILITY, HOSTILITY,
HYPERVIGILANCE, SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR, OR SOCIAL
ISOLATION

PSYCHOLOGICAL: FLASHBACK, FEAR, SEVERE ANXIETY, OR

MISTRUST

MOOD: LOSS OF INTREST OR PLEASURE IN ACTIVITIES, GUILT,

OR LONELINESS

SLEEP: INSOMNIA OR NIGHTMARES

ALSO COMMON: EMOTIONAL DETACHMENT OR UNWANTED

THOUGHTS
HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE BODY/MIND? (SYMPTOMS)
DOES IT SPREAD? GENES OR OTHERWISE?

PTSD IS NOT SPREAD

THROUGH GENES. PTSD CAN
SPREAD BY GETTING WORSE.
DOES IT SPREAD? GENES OR OTHERWISE?

EXAMPLES:

PTSD CAN LAST FOR MONTHS OR YEARS.

MORE THAN 3 MILLION US CASES PER YEAR

HOW CAN IT BE TREATED AND/OR CURED?

THE TREATMENTS FOR PTSD CAN

INCLUDE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
PSYCHOTHERAPY, AND MEDICATIONS TO
MANAGE SYMPTOMS
HOW CAN IT BE TREATED AND/OR CURED?

THERAPIES:

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THEARPY- A TALK THERAPY

EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION AND

REPROCESSING- PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT THAT
REDUCES STRESS FROM TRAUMATIC EVENTS THROUGH
EYE MOVEMENTS

EXPOSURE AND RESPONSE PREVENTION- A TALK

THERAPY
HOW CAN IT BE TREATED AND/OR CURED?

MEDICATIONS:

SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITOR (SSRI)-

EASES SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSED MOOD AND
ANXIETY.
HOW CAN IT BE TREATED AND/OR CURED?

SPECIALISTS:

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST- TREATS MENTAL DISORDERS

PRIMARILY WITH TALK THERPY.

PSYCHIATRIST- TREATS MENTAL DISORDERS PRIMARILY

WITH MEDICATIONS.
IS IT FATAL?

PTSD CAN JUST LAST SEVERAL MONTHS TO

MANY YEARS. IT CAN ALSO BE TREATED
SUCCESSFULLY. IT ISN'T USUALLY FATAL, BUT
IT CAN MAKE YOU VERY DEPRESSED WHICH
COULD LEAD TO SUICIDE.
 WHAT ARE AT LEAST 5 INTERESTING FACTS AND OR STATISTICS?

5 INTERESTING FACTS
70% OF ADULTS IN THE U.S. HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME
TYPE OF TRAUMATIC EVENT AT LEAST ONCE IN THEIR LIVES.

UP TO 20% OF THESE PEOPLE GO ON TO DEVELOP PTSD.

AN ESTIMATED 8% OF AMERICANS (24.4 MILLION PEOPLE)

HAVE PTSD AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

ONLY IN THE UNITED STATES, 3.6% MEN AND 9.7% OF

WOMEN DEVELOP PTSD ONCE IN THEIR LIVES.

67% OF PEOPLE RECOVER FROM PTSD AFTER COMPLETING

PTSD TREATMENT.
REFERENCES MLA FORMAT

WEBSITE
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Statistics of Europe, USA, and More. Online
Expat Counseling for Individuals and Couples., barendspsychology.com/mental-
disorders-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-statistics/. Accessed 5 Apr. 2017.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Fact Sheet. Sidran.org, www.sidran.org/

resources/for-survivors-and-loved-ones/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-
fact-sheet-2/. Accessed 5 Apr. 2017.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Rockville, Md.?, National Institute of Mental

Health, 1997.