Dear Dr. Levister: I live in a low-income neighborhood where my
two sons are exposed to a lot of violence. Both boys have
nightmares. One wets the bed. Can children suffer from post-
traumatic stress disorder? Y.S. Dear Y.S.: Post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) is a condition in which a person has long-
lasting psychological symptoms after experiencing an extremely
stressful event(s). About 30 percent of men and women who have
spent time in war zones experience what we now call PTSD. In
years past, a number of names were given to the emotional
problems some soldiers had after returning from war, including:
shell shock and combat fatigue. Children and teenagers can show
signs of PTSD too. The loss of a friend or loved one, a violent
experience, or exposure to a horrifying event may cause a child
to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Researchers have
found that the disorder is extremely common in young people who
experience such violence as seeing a parent murdered or raped,
witnessing a school shooting, o