What is Posttraumatic Stress?

Photo by Jamison Lottering

For a few months after 9/11, I would get weepy at the drop of a hat. The national anthem, the news report, the airport announcements; anything could do the trick. Many people think that posttraumatic stress can only happen to combat veterans or victims of violence. Not true. There is a distinction between having a diagnosis of PTSD and having posttraumatic stress reactions. I believe on September 11, 2001, many of us in this nation fit into the latter category.

The criteria of PTSD are stringent. To be diagnosed with PTSD, it means the individual has not only suffered from trauma but also exhibits subsequent impairment as a result of that trauma. Such impairment can be manifested in a multitude of ways — avoidance, hypervigilance, startle reaction, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, dissociative episodes, detachment, intense guilt, hopelessness, anger outbursts, suicidal ideation, etc. These manifestations can linger for months or even years.

Fortunately, not everybody who has experienced trauma will develop PTSD. However, for those who do, it can feel as if they are reliving the trauma over and over again. What complicates matters further is the fact that trauma can affect more than those who experience it firsthand. It can affect their loved ones; those who witness the traumatic event; those who have repeated exposure to the details of the trauma. Because people react and cope differently, it is impossible to predict who among the affected will develop symptoms. Nor can we anticipate the speed at which those who are symptomatic will recover from the aftermath.

Another confounding factor is that trauma does not always mean an isolated incident. In fact, chronic stressors which deprive us of our basic needs — food, shelter, safety, security — can be just as conducive to the development of posttraumatic stress as any isolated incidents. This may explain why any policies set up to help those in chronic poverty or geopolitical turmoil must commit to a delivery system that is consistent and reliable. Because those in perpetual instability require more than short-term solutions — It takes a lot longer to quiet a worried mind that has not experienced many moments of peace.