Pandemic PTSD?
PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) is a set of reactions that can occur after someone endures a traumatic event. In the first days and weeks after a traumatic event, people often experience strong feelings of fear, sadness, guilt, anger, and grief. As they begin to process what happened to them, these feelings typically subside. Most people will recover especially through the support of family and friends. For some people though, a traumatic event can lead to mental health issues such as “posttraumatic stress disorder” (PTSD), depression, or alcohol and drug use. In fact, research suggests that 5 to 10 percent of people will develop PTSD due to a major world event such as a pandemic. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors are bracing themselves for...