Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder — PTSD — is a human response that can result from experiencing a highly traumatic event. Post-traumatic stress disorder has many root causes including genetic predisposition, hormones and temperament, sexual assault, physical attack, a life-threatening event, a natural disaster, an accident or other life-altering events.
Many members of the military experience PTSD, especially those who engaged in active combat. It can go completely undetected, and can occur at any time if left untreated.
Reports from the National Vietnam Veteran’s Study in the 1980s indicated that 15% of male Veterans had PTSD at the time of the study. During a follow-up study conducted in 2003, it was discovered that 4 out of 5 Vietnam-era Veterans exhibited PTSD symptoms 20-25 years later.
Read more on Laurie’s article at LifeCycles in the Communities Digital News