Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has been in the news lately. When people think about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD, they conjure images of returning American soldiers from Iraq. Not only do these soldiers suffer from PTSD, but millions of other people throughout the world who have experienced war or genocide.
What is PTSD? Merriam-Webster defines it as "a psychological reaction occurring after experiencing a highly stressing event (as wartime combat, physical violence, or a natural disaster) that is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, and avoidance of reminders of the event."
The Mayo Clinic sites the following as signs and symptoms of someone having PTSD:
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Flashbacks, or reliving the traumatic event for minutes or even days at a time |
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Shame or guilt |
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Upsetting dreams about the traumatic event |
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Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event |
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Feeling emotionally numb |
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Irritability or anger |
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Poor relationships |
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Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much |
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Trouble sleeping |
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Being easily startled or frightened |
Health care providers and scientists have spent years of research on PTSD and there is some evidence that it is linked to certain diseases, including digestive, infectious, coronary heart disease, depression, and asthma.
PTSD is common in Cambodian genocide survivors, such as Dith Pran. The National Cambodian American Health Initiative has spent years researching these survivors. Their September 2007 Health Emergency in the Cambodian Community in the United States summary states that "Cambodians are dying from chronic disease at rates many times that of the general population. These conditions are directly related to their experience of torture and trauma".
Mayo Clinic On PTSD Cambodian Health Information Science Daily On PTSD