The Commentary_Rough Draft_MichaelGalloza - PTSD 1 Shining...

PTSD
1
Shining a Light in the Dark
Michael J. Galloza
DeVry University
Author Note
This paper was prepared for ENGL-112
Professor J. Kavouras.
Week #: 6

PTSD
2
Shining a Light in the Dark
There is a topic out there that is like a double edge sword. This is in the sense that there is
information out about it but isn’t fully understood either making it very controversial. This topic
is none other than PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has
been around for many years and until the recent wars and conflicts never really got the attention
that it deserves. This isn’t to say that PTSD is something that is only around in the military
community, it is very real in the average person’s life as well. In order to understand PTSD you
must first understand what it is and where it comes from.
Posttraumatic stress is a set of psychological and physical symptoms that follow a
traumatic experience. After being exposed to post traumatic stress is when you could be
diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD which is a mental health condition
triggered by experiencing or seeing a terrifying event. People who suffer from PTSD often relive
the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, these symptoms can be severe enough and
last long enough to significantly cause a dramatic difference in the person’s daily life. PTSD is
diagnosed with biological changes as well as psychological symptoms in a person. Some of these
symptoms include re-experiencing, avoidance and numbing, and arousal.
Re-experiencing symptoms are symptoms that involve reliving the traumatic event. There
are many different ways that someone may relive a trauma. For instance they can have upsetting
memories of the traumatic event that can arise at any moment unexpected. People can also have