Dispelling myths about PTSD

Dear NAMI,

My Daughter Janet was in a car accident last year. It was frightening, and a man in another car died. Janet was lucky. She lived through it and she wasn't badly hurt.

Janet felt fine for a while, but things changed. She started to have nightmares every night. And when she was awake, she could see the crash happening over and over in her mind. She felt tense every time she rode in a car, and tried to avoid it as much as she could.

Janet's husband asked her to see her doctor, who told her she might have PTSD. Janet's doctor put her in touch with a doctor trained to help people with PTSD. Soon Janet was being treated. It helped her to feel less tense and scared, and it helped her to sleep. It also helped her to share her feelings with the doctor. It wasn't easy, but after a couple of months Janet began to feel better.

I think a huge myth about PTSD is that the diagnosis is mainly for the men and women who support our country in times of war. Would you agree?

Sincerely, Thankful Mom Dear Thankful Mom,

Thank you for sharing your daughter's successful story. It is true that there are many myths surrounding PTSD. Here are some facts we would like to share.

Anyone can develop PTSD at any age. This includes war veterans, children, and people who have been through a physical or sexual assault, abuse, accident, disaster, or many other serious events. According to the National Center for PTSD, about 7 or 8 out of every 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men, and genes may make some people more likely to develop PTSD than others.

Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. Some people develop PTSD after a friend or family member experiences danger or harm. The sudden, unexpected death of a loved one can also lead to PTSD.

Some factors that increase risk for PTSD include:

Living through dangerous events and traumas

Getting hurt

Seeing another person hurt, or seeing a dead body

Childhood trauma

Feeling horror, helplessness, or extreme fear

Having little or no social support after the event

Dealing with extra stress after the event, such as loss of a loved one, pain and injury, or loss of a job or home

Having a history of mental illness or substance abuse.

Some resilience factors that may reduce the risk of PTSD include:

Seeking out support from other people, such as friends and family

Finding a support group after a traumatic event

Learning to feel good about one's own actions in the face of danger

Having a positive coping strategy, or a way of getting through the bad event and learning from it

Being able to act and respond effectively despite feeling fear.

Researchers are studying the importance of these and other risk and resilience factors, including genetics and neurobiology. With more research, someday it may be possible to predict who is likely to develop PTSD and to prevent it.