#529 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Ever since the first World War, people have coined terms like “shell shock” or “battle fatigue” to describe the difficulties some veterans face in returning to normal life after experiencing horrific battles. The syndrome was finally given a name in the aftermath of the Vietnam War: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Tens of thousands of veterans of the Iraq war may also be vulnerable. But you don’t need to be in the military to suffer PTSD. Victims of rape or other trauma can also be affected. We will find out how post-traumatic stress disorder can be treated, and how families can support a member with this condition. Guests: Harold Kudler, MD, Co-Chair of the VA Undersecretary for Health’s Special Committee on PTSD; Coordinator of the Mental Health Service Line, Veterans Integrated Service Network; Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Duke University Medical Center; Staff Psychiatrist, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center