-	Rape (49 percent)
	-	Severe beating or physical assault (31.9 percent)
	-	Other sexual assault (23.7 percent)
	-	Serious accident or injury; for example, car or train accident (16.8 percent)
	-	Shooting or stabbing (15.4 percent)
	-	Sudden, unexpected death of family member or friend (14.3 percent)
	-	Child’s life-threatening illness (10.4 percent)
	-	Witness to killing or serious injury (7.3 percent)
	-	Natural disaster (3.8 percent)

WHY PTSD IS HARD TO DIAGNOSE:

Symptoms can occur as early as days following the traumatic event. Sometimes symptoms will not become present until weeks, months, or even years later. The symptoms can last up to six months in some people while others may suffer for years.

Some people may feel guilty about what happened & mistakenly believe that they are to blame & deserve the hurt & pain they are suffering. Sometimes the experience may be too personal or embarassing to discuss with others.

PTSD can make a person feel isolated or alone making it hard for them to reach out to loved ones or professionals for help. People do not always make the connection between the traumatic event & the emotional emptiness, anger, & anxiety they may find themselves feeling.

Although research suggests that prolonged trauma may disrupt & alter brain chemistry, this theory still remains unproven.

TREATING PTSD:

Dangerous mind-altering drugs are not the answer! The drugs will only mask your symptoms & not heal them. In fact, they might actually worsen & intensify your symptoms. If you are already experiencing high levels of anxiety & depression, the last thing you need to experience is a drug induced psychosis which can make you feel manic & have possible thoughts of suicide.

The best approach to healing PTSD is through talking about it & emotionally reliving what you had experienced. You need to face the incident head on to eventally find a way to make peace within yourself. When you  openly talk about what happened to you, the fewer & less severe your symptoms will become. If you do not have a loved one or close friend that you can trust & confide in, find a local counselor or other professional who specializes & has experience in dealing with traumatic events.

Counseling methods such as cognitive behavior thearapy, including exposure & anxiety management treatments, can be effective in treating PTSD. This usually involves helping an individual learn skills to manage symptoms & develop ways of coping. They can work you through the traumatic experience & make meaning of the experience as part of the person's life.

To discuss or read messages posted from others who have suffered from PTSD please visit the following site. This site offers support, understanding, & a lot of good information to those who may be seeking help & support. Trauma Anonymous 

To report psychiatric abuse & for more information on the dangers of psychotropic drugs & current practices used in psychiatry today, please visit the following website: Citizens Commission on Human Rights http://www.cchr.org/

Disclaimer:  The information posted on this website is for educational purposes only. We are not licensed Medical Doctors & do not intend to substitute the advise of professionals. The information presented is based on our opinions on the benefits of alternative treatment vs. drugging for treatment. Some of our sources include websites of licensed Medical Doctors & websites of others sharing our opinions. Any mention on this site of alternative treatment & healing through natural remedies, organic or herbal, have not been evaluated by the FDA. Again, some  information on this site is based solely on personal experiences & personal opinions & is protected under Free Speech.