Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an unbearable condition that can develop following a terrifying event. Often, people with PTSD have continual frightening thoughts and memories of their suffering and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. PTSD was first brought to public attention by war veterans, but it can result from any number of traumatic incidents. The event that triggers PTSD may be something that threatened the person's life or the life of someone close to him or her. Or it could be something witnessed, such as massive death and destruction after a building is bombed or a plane crashes.
             Whatever the source of the problem, some people with PTSD constantly relive the trauma in the form of nightmares and disturbing recollections during the day. For instance, the incident where Septimus and his wife were walking through the park, Septimus was talking about ending his life, after they heard the car backfire.
             People suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder may experience other sleep problems, feel detached or numb, or be easily startled. There may also be a loss in interest in things they used to enjoy and have trouble feeling friendly. They may feel irritable, more aggressive than before, or even violent. Things that remind them of the trauma may be very upsetting, which could lead them to avoid certain places or situations that bring back those memories.
             Normal events can serve as reminders of the trauma and trigger flashbacks or disturbing images. A person having a flashback, which can come in the form of images, sounds, smells, or feelings, may lose touch with reality and believe that the traumatic event is happening all over again.
             Shell Shock was a term used during the First World War to describe the psychological trauma suffered by men serving in the war. The force of the essentially artillery battles fought along these war fronts often caused neurotic cracks to appear in ...