PTSD can happen to anyone who feels intense fear, horror, or helplessness at an event, including victims, bystanders, and rescuers. Each successive trauma increases the risk. Twice as many women as men in America are diagnosed with PTSD, perhaps in part because women are more likely to be victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, or to suffer from anxiety or depression, which slightly increases the risk.
However, PTSD is probably undiagnosed in many men, who might not get the help they need. "We find that women are more likely than men to report their symptoms, especially feelings of anxiety." says Edna Foa, Ph.D., director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania. Men's symptoms may also be harder to recognize. "They're more likely to exhibit anger, for example, or to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs," Foa says.
Overall, PTSD is notoriously under-diagnosed, particularly by primary-care physicians, who may not feel comfortable asking about traumas. Patients may also be reluctant to talk about their suffering; they may not even connect the car crash months ago to their ongoing symptoms. But honesty and thoroughness with your doctor is critical, particularly since PTSD can resemble many other physical and mental ailments.
