Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD)

Trauma is an event that severely threatens our physical survival or safety or our emotional and psychological integrity and safety. A trauma is an event that frightens or shocks us, endangers our long-term well-being, causes us to fear for our life, safety, or sanity, or causes deep emotional pain, confusion, or fear.

Trauma probably affects most people at some point in our lives - we may have a car accident, suddenly lose a loved-one, experience a criminal act (armed robbery, sexual assault, etc) be subject to serious emotional or physical abuse, live or serve in a place where war or terrorism occur, or in some other way be subject to intense fear, either for a moment or for a long period. Some people experience repeated trauma (such as victims of repeated abuse as a child, people who live in war zones, etc). Some psychologists consider birth to be a traumatizing experience.

Many people recover from trauma through the support of family and friends and bounce back with great resiliency. For others, the recovery process is a longer journey and for some, the support, guidance, and assistance of professionals is fundamental to their healing.