Show Like other mental illnesses, PTSD can affect anyone and should not be perceived as a sign of weakness. Statistics show that approximately eight million adults in the U.S. have PTSD during a given year. What are the Symptoms of PTSD?The symptoms of PTSD usually occur within a month after a person experienced a traumatic event. However, in some cases, symptoms may not appear until years later. Intrusive Memories Avoidance Changes in Thinking and
Mood Changes in Behavior The Gender Difference of PTSDWhile PTSD can happen to anyone, statistics show that there is a significant gender difference in the prevalence of PTSD. According to the National Center for PTSD, around 10% of women have PTSD sometime in their lives compared to 4% of men. Numerous research studies on post-traumatic disorder have shown that females are twice as likely to experience PTSD than males. Further investigation revealed the following possible causes for the disparity. Type of Trauma Men are more likely to encounter traumas such as physical assault, accidents, disaster, combat or to see death and injury. Women, on the other hand, are more prone to experience rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse as a child. Numbers from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center show that 91% of rape and sexual assault victims are women and 9% are males. Moreover, 20% of women will be raped at some point in their lives compared to 1.4% of men. One study found the effects of sexual assault are so damaging that 94% of women victims experienced PTSD symptoms within the first two weeks following the incident. Culture and Gender Roles Coping Strategy Tending involves taking care of people around them, while befriending is the process of reaching out to people around them to find relief from distress. Considering women’s reliance on the support of others during problematic times (e.g. traumatic events), they become more vulnerable to experiencing PTSD symptoms if their social network does not give the support they need or if they feel rejected and abandoned. The truth is: anyone can have PTSD. And fortunately, there are effective treatments for PTSD, such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy or psychodrama therapy. If you notice warning signs or think someone may have PTSD, don’t make assumptions about their gender or background, show your support and encourage them to get help. Dale is a writer and researcher in the fields of mental health and addiction for Sunshine Behavioral Health. Dale has over four years of writing in his field and discusses these topics in the hopes to reduce the stigmas associated with mental health and addiction.
Check out our Submission Guidelines for more information. What is the most likely cause for post traumatic stress disorder?The most common events leading to the development of PTSD include: Combat exposure. Childhood physical abuse. Sexual violence.
What are 5 events that can lead to PTSD?What can cause PTSD?. being involved in a car crash.. being raped or sexually assaulted.. being abused, harassed or bullied - including racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia or transphobia, and other types of abuse targeting your identity.. being kidnapped, held hostage or any event in which you fear for your life.. |