Posttraumatic stress disorder is a mental illness that has gained a lot of press since the Vietnam War. Despite the press, however, many people do not realize what this condition is and how many lives it can and does impact.

Posttraumatic stress disorder is one of several anxiety disorders
. This particular condition is widely associated with military personnel who have seen live-action combat. It is, however, an equal opportunity offender and can sideline the lives of anyone who has undergone extreme trauma.

Anxiety symptoms and disorders are a significant health problem in all developed countries. According to recent data, around 25% of adults will experience an anxiety disorders at some time. The frequency in children is unknown, but felt to be significantly underreported and under-diagnosed.

I’ve heard of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder happening to people caught in wars and catastrophes. But can being abused as a child cause PTSD? How long does it last?
While living through a catastrophe such as Katrina or through a war is in some ways unique, there are commonalities in how our minds and spirits attempt to handle extreme trauma. Learning about these commonalities can help us support each other during and after times of crisis.

All people experience stressful events which can affect them emotionally and physically. Our reactions to stress are usually brief, and most of us recover without any further problems. However, if you have experienced a catastrophic event, you may find that you have developed signs of ongoing problems, known as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In PTSD, the stressful or traumatic event may have involved a situation where your life may have been threatened, severe injury had occurred or you may have been the victim of or a witness to physical abuse, sexual abuse or a particularly violent act.

Any treatment or approach dealing with the human brain, its functions, and the possibility of altering those functions, raises valid concerns about the safety of such practices. Hypnosis for instance raises a valid concern, is hypnosis safe? In most cases hypnosis is a safe and beneficial procedure that has helped many people to overcome issues that were previously impacting their quality of living.

Hypnosis has been used by people to overcome issues such as compulsive and addictive behaviors like alcohol, drugs, smoking, gambling and overeating. Hypnosis can help a person gain needed insight into why they behave the way they do.