About PTSD
Who is at risk:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder, which is triggered by either experiencing or witnessing an extreme traumatic situation, when people feel scared, helpless or terrified.
!! PTSD can manifest itself as an attack and have no warning signs, i.e. a person can behave perfectly normally until there is an acute outbreak of the disease.
!! Family members or others who have long-term contact with PTSD victims may be prone to disorders that are a form of PTSD.
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Soldiers, law enforcement and security officers who participate in or witness traumatic events.
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Victims and witnesses of violent crimes.
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Victims of repeated and recurrent emotional, sexual or mental abuse at home or at work.
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Employees of legal, medical, emergency services; crisis managers, psychologists, and social workers.
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Victims and witnesses of natural and industrial disasters.
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People whose loved ones have severe mental disorders, or those who have such mental disorders, are more likely to develop PTSD.
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People with low self-esteem.
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Very young or very old people. Children do not yet have the skills to cope with the injury, and the elderly may have lost these skills
Causes of PTSD
A person has experienced, witnessed, or encountered an event or events that are
associated with the threat of death or serious injury, or danger to physical well-beingof the person or others.
1) Victims and witnesses of traumatic events at war, security operations
● Military action (both military and civil)
● Witness a murder or serious injury
● Viewing a dead body or dead body parts
● Gunshot or stab wound
● Torture
● Imprisonment of prisoners of war
● Hostage situation
● Terrorist act
2) Victims and witnesses of physical or psychological violence
● Rape
● Other types of sexual abuse
● Brutal beating or physical assault, extortion, robbery
● Kidnapping
● Victims of human trafficking, sexual slavery
● Victims or witnesses of constant domestic violence
● Victims of bullying, including school cases
● Victims of neglect
3) Witnesses of other events, reports of such event
● Sudden, unexpected death of a family member or a friend
● News of a violent attack on a person, a serious accident, a serious injury that
occurred to a family member or close friend
● A disease of a child that threatens his/her life
● A colleague getting fired or a neighbour losing their home due to the financial
crisis
● Natural or man-made disasters and accidents
4) Other traumatic events
● Serious accident or injury (car or train accident)
● Significant financial losses
● Traumatic childbirth and ill-treatment from medical staff