The Health Corner

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that can develop following a terrifying event. Often, people with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. PTSD was first brought to the public attention by war veterans, but it can result from any number of traumatic incidents. The event that triggers PTSD may be something that threatened the person’s life or the life of someone close to him or her. Or it could be something witnessed, such as a massive death and destruction of a building, such as the attacks on September 11 on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Depression

Depression is a common mental illness that affects nearly 10 percent of the people in the United States. It is a treatable medical condition- not a personal weakness. Everybody at one point or experiences sadness or the “blues” as a reaction to loss, grief, or an emotionally upsetting incident. Someone might say they are “depressed,” but major depression is a serious medical condition requiring professional diagnosis and treatment. Depression left untreated can lead to other health care and life problems, and if severe enough, even suicide.