What is trauma?
Dr. Stanford is a NIH-funded mental health specialist. "Most people associate post-traumatic stress symptoms with gas and war situations," says Amit Etkin. "However, any trauma that may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic stress-like symptoms occurs during life."

This includes physical or sexual assault, harassment, accident, catastrophe or many other serious consequences. Anyone can develop PTSD at any age. According to the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, approximately 7 or 8 out of every 100 people will have PTSD at one point in their lives.

"You do not have a blood test to ask if you are in the highest risk group to develop PTSD or they will ask you a question," says Tuma. "But in general we know that there are some things that increase the risk and some things that protect it."

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