Stress - The Causes Of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome

Post traumatic stress syndrome is a mental illness that can plague almost anyone if the right circumstances take place. This condition results as an extreme reaction to a very extreme situation. Whereas some people might endure trauma with only a few long-term problems, others find themselves facing post traumatic stress syndrome.

What Is Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome?

It develops in people who have endured what others pray they will never have to face. If the conditions are right, a person who endures trauma or tragedy might find themselves vividly reliving the incident in their minds over and over again. The replay can be triggered by a number of different things. In many cases, a person suffering from this might have difficulty distinguishing the replay from the actual event.

The triggers for post traumatic stress syndrome flashbacks depend a lot on the incident that caused the problem in the first place. Some people find that certain smells, images and even people or places can cause a flashback to go into full run.

What Causes It?

The causes are many. While most people associate the condition with combat veterans, anyone can suffer from it. Some of the most common causes beyond battlefield trauma include:

* Natural disasters. People who have survived extreme natural disasters such as tornadoes, direct-hit hurricanes, floods or fires sometimes develop this condition. This can particularly be the case if the person witnessed human tragedy in the face of the natural disaster.

* Severe accidents. Plane crashes, fatal car accidents and other similar incidents can score themselves on the minds of survivors.

* Violent crime. Rape victims, child abuse victims, murder witnesses and other survivors of violent crime quite frequently contract it.

While these are the most common causes, any incident that causes a person extreme trauma can technically trigger this condition.

Is It Treatable?

It is considered quite treatable in most instances. More than 50 percent of the people who suffer from this condition are able to work through it and move past the flashbacks. While the memories of the trauma might never go away, the nightmare of reliving the pain second-by-second can often be dealt with in therapy.

It can take a tragic victim and make that person even more tragic. By dooming a person to relive a horrific event over and over again, this condition sidelines lives in a very big way. Quite often the only way to get over the condition is by acquiescing to therapy and working through the fears, insecurities and pain associated with the memories.