Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is essentially defined as a medical condition characterized by severe anxiety that is developed after going through a psychologically traumatic event. Looking at the disease from such an encompassing definition it is clear that it is a condition that is not exactly specific to those who serve in the military; it can essentially happen to anyone.

Over the years, however, most of the people who are exposed to incidents that can lead to PTSD are those who are in the service – men and women who have been in the midst of traumatic battles and lived to tell the tale. For most of them, the horrors of war do not end once they leave the combat zone and go back to the comfort and security of home; they are forever haunted by the things that they were able to see.

It is therefore not surprising that the history of PTSD as a disease seems to be entwined with that of military conflict. It is said that military doctors from as early as the 1800s have recognized symptoms that are now associated with PTSD, although back then they simply termed it as “exhaustion after the stress of battle.” PTSD as it is understood today was mainly established in the 1970s due mainly to the issues faced by the veterans of the Vietnam War.

For 2010, the Senate has passed a resolution that declared June 27 as National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Day. The resolution was authored by Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, who said, according to a report by the Associated Press, that “more must be done to educate troops, veterans, families and communities about the disorder and the resources and treatments available.”