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PTSD in Daily Life

Unfortunately, lots of kids have PTSD. Sometimes the traumatic event is something very dramatic, like a school shooting or a tornado. But PTSD can also come from something very average, like a car accident. Violence in a home or neighborhood can also cause PTSD. Any event where a child feels his life is in danger is a potential trigger.

was not until after the Vietnam War (1954–1975), however, that doctors created a special definition for this type of anxiety. These days, PTSD can be found in anyone who has survived a trauma. Abused children sometimes have PTSD. So do people who lived through a sexual assault, a robbery, or a natural disaster like a hurricane. People with PTSD have feelings of intense fear, helplessness, and horror. They have repeating thoughts and dreams about the trauma. Sometimes they even have flashbacks, in which they believe the traumatic event is happening again. Recently, doctors have begun discussing a new type of the disorder, called complex PTSD (C-PTSD). This type is caused by repeated trauma, experienced over and over again for a long time. For example, being abused for many years might cause C-PTSD. Growing up in a high-crime neighborhood can also cause it. People with C-PTSD never know when the next bad thing is coming, so they tend to be constantly