17% of men and 13% of women have experienced more than three traumatic events in their lives, and the onset of PTSD is generally based on the degree and the extent of the trauma, and the duration, and the type. For example, when there is a rape, then there is a 49% chance that the women will experience PTSD, and when there is a physical assault, it would be 31.9%. For sexual assault, the percentage would be 23.7 and when the person has been in an accident, and then the percentage would be 16.8%. (What is PTSD?) Other traumatic events may be a child's life threatening illness, or a natural disaster, or a witness or a victim of a shooting or a stabbing, and so on. (What is PTSD?) These people may also experience of several kinds of physical symptoms related to their traumatic experience, and some of them are: chronic pain with no real physical basis, chronic fatigue, and tiredness, severe and long lasting stomach pain, and other related digestive problems, including the 'irritable bowel syndrome'. He may also develop eating disorders, and breathing problems such as asthma, and get frequent headaches and muscle cramps. He may also develop severe cardiovascular problems. (What are the Symptoms of PTSD?)

PTSD can be diagnosed if the individual experiences any of the physical and mental symptoms described above, for a period lasting for more than one month, or if they cause severe problems for the person at home and at work. It can last for different periods, with varying intensities, because of the basic fact that not everyone reacts in exactly the same way to everything. Some people may recover without treatment of any kind, while some others may recover with a minimal help, while others may need significant help and medical aid for them to recover sufficiently enough for them to lead healthy and normal lives. The disadvantage of a PTSD is that it is difficult to diagnose, and the advantage is that when it has been diagnosed, then the individual would be able to recover quickly and pick up the lost threads of his life fairly easily. The important fact is that a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is indeed treatable,...

(How is PTSD diagnosed?) must state here that when an individual has suffered from a moderate to severe trauma, the most important thing is that one must allow oneself time to heal, and ask for support from the people around, and communicate one's fears and join a support group. One can also try to engage in healthy behaviors, and try to carry on one's normal routine, so that the trauma does not lead to the onset of PTSD. In other words, if one became knowledgeable about what to expect after a severe trauma, then it would be much easier to deal with it when it happens. When the affected person is a child, then the parents must spend more time with him, and help him through the trauma so that he may eventually be able to emerge as a healthy and balanced adult. I will also mention that it is only when the symptoms are prolonged and last for more than a month that one must seek professional help, otherwise, one can fairly easily deal with PTSD with the help and care of the family and friends and the people around him. (Managing Traumatic Stress)
References

Gore, Allen. T; Richards, Georgeianna. (27 April, 2005) "Post Traumatic Stress

Disorder" Retrieved at http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic1900.htm. Accessed 6 November, 2005

Managing Traumatic Stress" American Psychological Association. Retrieved at http://www.apa.org/practice/traumaticstress.html. Accessed 6 November, 2005

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?" A National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet.

Retrieved at http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/facts/general/fs_what_is_ptsd.html. Accessed 6 November, 2005

What is PTSD?" Retrieved at http://www.ptsdalliance.org/about_what.html. Accessed 6 November, 2005

What are the Symptoms of PTSD?" Retrieved at http://www.ptsdalliance.org/about_symp.html. Accessed 6 November, 2005

How is PTSD diagnosed?" Retrieved at http://www.ptsdalliance.org/about_diag.html. Accessed 6 November, 2005