Although post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, has existed since humans could experience trauma, it wasn’t formally recognized as a diagnosable condition until much later. In fact, it wasn’t the official term until 1980 when the American Psychiatric Association included the term in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. As a result, not many people know much about PTSD and many of them even believe things that are false. For your information, this article will list 3 facts about PTSD that you may not have known.
- Symptoms may not begin right away. When a person experiences trauma due to a car accident, abuse, assault, a natural disaster, or something similar, you might be inclined to think that they would experience symptoms of PTSD soon after the event. In truth, several years could pass before symptoms begin or become noticeable.
- PTSD is more common than you think. While some people think that PTSD is not common, this could not be further from the truth. About 6% of the U.S. population will experience PTSD at some point during their lifetimes, and about 12 million adults deal with symptoms of PTSD every year.
- Caregivers can experience PTSD. You don’t have to be the one who experienced the trauma to have PTSD symptoms. For example, if something traumatic happened to someone you love, like a child or spouse, you could develop PTSD. First responders like paramedics and firefighters can also experience PTSD because of the things they witness while they are working.
Contact the office of Dr. James Campbell, LLC if you need professional help for PTSD.