Stress and Post-Traumatic Disorder: Emotional and Physical Trauma - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is discussed by Schiraldi (2000, p. 3) as a disorder which “results from exposure to an overwhelmingly stressful event or series of events, such as war, rape, or abuse”. It is actually considered a usual reaction for normal people to unusual events. The events which cause PTSD are often severe and distressful; usually, they occur suddenly and overwhelm a person’s ability to cope (Schiraldi, 2000). The traumatic event in my life which caused me much stress and trauma was the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York. I was working in New York at that time and was also engaged to be married to Steve. Everyone in our office building was shaken and stunned by the attack; the terrorist attack left me dazed and shocked. At one point during the attack, I found myself sitting on the street and looking up at the burning buildings. I was horrified to see people in business suits jumping off of the buildings, some holding hands with each other, some alone; and every one of them jumping, in what they saw, as an attempt to save their lives. I absorbed those images before me; I could not help but watch. I was able to eventually make it out of New York and home to New Jersey with my fiancée. However, I was haunted by the images I saw that day. My dreams and even my waking moments were full of images of mangled and mutilated bodies; dead people trying to talk to me with their faces half-gone; dead people pulling at me in my dreams; people without limbs trying to communicate with me. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More