Introducing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an extreme anxiety response to a life-threatening situation, which often manifests as a tendency to avoid places or events that could remind patients of the traumatic experience, and which may impair patients’ quality of life for years, as well as their ability to function normally in daily life. Get Started
The estimated lifetime prevalence of this disorder in the general population is 8%, although an additional 5-15% of the general population may experience sub-clinical forms of the disorder. The prevalence of the disorder is higher in women than in men. Also, the disorder is more prevalent among young adults, as they are most likely to encounter traumatic events, although it can also manifest in children and in adolescents. Historically, the traumatic events differ between genders, and the literature states that men mostly develop the disorder following combat exposure, whereas women develop it in response to physical or sexual assault.
Today, most cases of PTSD in the general population developed as a result of exposure to traffic accidents or work accidents. The incidence of PTSD is higher among war veterans. For example, 30% of Vietnam war veterans suffer from PTSD, and an additional 25% experienced a sub-clinical variant thereof.
Although the disorder is often associated with combat veterans, it is not unique to them. Besides combat exposure, rape, child abuse, traffic accidents, terrorist attacks and any event involving a threat to human life may trigger PTSD. However, most people who experience a traumatic event will not develop a prolonged post-traumatic response. For instance, most female rape victims are no longer diagnosed with post-traumatic stress three months after they were raped.
The chances of developing PTSD depend on a number of factors, such as the degree of support the traumatized person receives after the traumatic event, the environment’s attitude towards the event, the provision of immediate care – failure to do so may perpetuate the condition, and predispositions to developing the disorder.
If you are suffering from the effects of PTSD, contact ReNu today to find out how Deep TMS can help.