After experiencing a horrifying or distressing situation, a person is likely to take a while to recover emotionally from the shock of what has happened. In the most severe cases, an individual may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is oftentimes a result of the person being threatened or having been submitted to extreme physical harm, such as the threat or actual experience of being tortured. PTSD can also result in an individual who has witnessed physical harm being dealt to or threatened toward another person, such as a loved one.
PTSD is, quite simply put, an anxiety disorder. Sufferers of this illness are usually uneasy and quick to startle. They typically find it hard to show emotion, although at times they might react aggressively or violently to certain situations. Obviously, after having witnessed such events as they have, it is difficult for these people to forget what they have seen. They typically replay in their heads these traumatic occurrences, which makes it very hard for them to move on.
In general, symptoms of PTSD occur within about three months after the event has passed. If they last for longer than a month, then the sufferer is liable to be diagnosed with PTSD.
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It can be extremely detrimental to witness a terrifying event such as being threatened by another individual or watching someone you love suffer from physical harm. If you think you might be a victim of post-traumatic stress disorder, please contact the Minneapolis personal injury attorneys Terry, Slane & Ruohonen, P.L.L.C. at 612-362-0000 today.
