Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a pathological anxiety
disorder resulting after exposure to a traumatic event. Current
literature estimates that 8% of the U.S. population meets the
criteria for PTSD and while PTSD cases commonly involve combat
or assault experiences, there is a wide range of events capable
of triggering PTSD symptoms. These events include car accidents,
kidnappings, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and any other
traumatic experience where an individual experienced or
witnessed an event that involved death or the threat of physical
harm. For example, should a car accident occur, PTSD could
result in the drivers, the passengers, or a witness; yet, the
development of PTSD in one individual does not imply the
development of PTSD in others involved in the incident. How one
responds to an event is dependent on a variety of factors that
lie outside the traumatic experience itself. PTSD is
characterized by 4 primary symptoms: - Intrusion: Recurrent
recollections of the event - Dreams, in