17 Facts That Will Completely Change The Way You Look At PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can affect anyone, regardless of race, gender, demographic, age, or profession. Let's debunk some common misconceptions about the mental illness, and do some serious buzzfeed-style learning.

1. First and foremost, Happy Veteran's Day. Thank you to all of the troops who have committed their lives to the defense of freedom.

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There are over 2.3 million American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. At least 20% of those veterans suffer from PTSD and/or Depression. Moreover, 50% of those with PTSD do not seek treatment.

2. Psychologists first recognized PTSD as a mental condition during World War I.

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Soldiers described mental as well as medical symptoms after combat as “shell shock”. They give Miley's twerk a run for its money.

3. For a long time, psychologists only studied PTSD in conjunction with soldiers who returned from combat.

Via globalresearch.ca

4. Now, psychologists have expanded the definition of PTSD to include adults, adolescents, and children who have persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury or severe psychological shock.

Via youtube.com

5. Severe traumatic experiences often include sexual assault or rape, exposure to intimate partner violence, exposure to community violence or other generalized forms of violence, as well as exposure to serious injury or threat of death.

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6. Children can develop PTSD if they have lived through an event that could have caused someone else harm. This includes living in an environment where intimate partner violence takes place.

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7. Patrick Stewart, Charlize Theron and Halle Berry are celebrities who have all reported being raised in violent, abusive homes, witnessing some form of intimate partner violence.

Professor Xavier (aka the father of all X-Men), Catwoman, and Snow White's evil stepmother all had crappy parents.

8. Among individuals who are victims of a severe traumatic experience, 60-80% will develop PTSD.

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Photo taken from an editorial spread in "12mag" portraying models with horrific injuries implicitly inflicted by male attackers.

9. An estimated 1 in 10 women develops PTSD in their lifetime. Women are twice as likely to develop PTSD as men.

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10. 1 in 4 women will experience rape or sexual assault in their lifetime. At least 1/3 of those victims develop PTSD as a result.

Via oneinfourusa.org

11. Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Madonna, Robin Givens, Kate Moss, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, and Pamela Anderson are all celebrities who have reported being victims of domestic violence.

Via wordpress.com

12. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD in combat veterans is 10-30%.

Via news.medill.northwestern.edu

13. More than 33% of youths exposed to community violence will develop PTSD.

Via static.guim.co.uk

14. Almost all of the children who witness a parental homicide or sexual assault develop PTSD.

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15. As many as 90% of children who are sexually abused as a child develop PTSD.

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16. As many as 75% of children exposed to a school shooting as a child develop PTSD. Think for a moment about the infamous Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

Via youtube.com

456 children were enrolled at the school at the time of the massacre. Statistically speaking, 350 of these children will have PTSD as a result of the trauma.

17. 71% of female military personnel develop PTSD due to sexual assault within the ranks.

diversityinc.com

There are no words to describe this shocking statistic.