Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder caused by experiencing or witnessing a truly traumatic, tragic, or terrifying event. Those who suffer from PTSD may have persistent, frightening thoughts and memories of what they experienced and may end up feeling emotionally numb, especially with loved ones. Seeing things that remind the individual of the incident can make them very distressed, causing them to avoid certain places or situations that bring back memories. Anniversaries of the event can also bring back memories and are often very difficult (psychcentral). Department of Veterans Affairs statistics show that 9 out of 11 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are diagnosed with PTSD. This represents nearly 30% of the 834,463 veterans treated in VA hospitals and clinics (The Daily Beast). Some symptoms of PTSD are recurring flashbacks, high levels of anxiety, known as hyperarousal. People also avoid or numb the memory of the event (Wikipedia). Reliving trauma can take the form of nightmares or disturbing memories during the day. Nightmares and memories come and go randomly for people. Some may not experience it for weeks and then suffer from it every day for no reason. People may also experience problems sleeping, depression, feelings of detachment or numbness, or be easily startled. Loss of interest in things they used to enjoy and difficulty feeling affectionate may also occur. People with PTSD may become incredibly irritated or more aggressive than before. It can get to the point where the person becomes violent. (psychcentral) Other causes of PTSD include sexual assault, torture, and life-threatening events upon oneself and/or a loved one...... middle of paper ...... en reading lessons. Works Cited Smith, Melinda, MA, and Jeanne Segal, PH.D. “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). » Helpguide.org.Helpguide.org, March 2014.Web. April 26, 2014.Grohol, John M., PSY.D. “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”PsychCentral.com. Psych Central, November 19, 2013.Web. April 25, 2014. “Post-traumatic stress disorder.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, April 27, 2014.Web. April 27, 2014. “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). » NIMH RSS. National Institute of Health, ND Web. April 26, 2014. Reno, Jamie. “The Hero Project”. The daily beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, October 21, 2012. Web. April 25, 2014. “Post-traumatic stress disorder.” Post-traumatic stress disorder. International. Wellness Directory, NDWeb. April 27, 2014. “Federal Government May Allow Researchers to Study Treating PTSD With Medical Marijuana.” » -RT USA. RT, March 18, 2014.Web. April 27. 2014.