This unconscious and intrusive process of recollections would be out of the control of the individual. In addition, the individual would form a protective psychological shield against further trauma by becoming numb or removed from the environment, often in a dazed or dissociated way. Characteristically, contact with anything that reminded the individual of the traumatic experience would elicit an excessive emotional response. Of course, being exposed to traumatic events is part of living and it is difficult to measure what is outside the range of usual human experience. In the last 60 years, countless numbers of Americans have participated in military combat in three major wars and numerous other campaigns.
Domestic violence is a growing problem in our society as is violence generally.
Regularly, we read about natural disasters throughout our land and their devastation on individuals, families, and communities. Even if PTSD symptoms appear after a traumatic experience, this rarely results in a major disability. Looking back historically most holocaust survivors, combat veterans, and prisoners of war did not become disabled even if they could not totally erase the trauma from their minds. In addition, individuals with PTSD demonstrate a persistent avoidance of stimuli that are associated with the trauma and a numbing of their general responsiveness to the environment. Finally, there must be evidence of increased arousal or hypervigilance as an aftermath of the traumatic experience.