NeuHarmony, LLC
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What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? (PTSD)
"When in danger, it’s natural to feel afraid. This fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to prepare to defend against the danger or to avoid it. This 'fight-or-flight' response is a healthy reaction meant to protect a person from harm. But in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this reaction is changed or damaged. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they’re no longer in danger.
"PTSD develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers.
"PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes." (National Institute of Mental Health)
The following link contains more information about PTSD, from the National Center for PTSD:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/what-is-ptsd.asp
Although PTSD is often associated with our veterans, other people, including children can also develop PTSD, as stated above. According to Pete Walker, M. A. and therapist, PTSD can be caused in children by ongoing abuse including sexual, physical, emotional and verbal abuse, as well as emotional neglect.
The following link contains more information about this form of PTSD, sometimes referred to as Complex PTSD, or C-PTSD, from Pete Walker, M.A. :
http://www.pete-walker.com/fAQsComplexPTSD.html#complexPTSD