This is just a strange tought. There are a lot of people in the world who had survived traumas and had never be helped for it, and someimes did not even realize that. I especially mean those situations, when traumatic ezperience is considered normal, as in many third-world countries.
For example, so many people are starving and can not afford any food, and see their family members dying of hunger and diseases. I think, that can be a traumatic event.
Or, there many countries where the milotary conflicts are going on right now. Obviously, a lot of people are traumatised there.
Or, the countless crime or accident victims.
Hell, not everywhere you can say the you are still disturbed by the memories of rape or car accident... In many places, people will say that you are just a whiner if can not forget this, since there are worse problems all around.

I can see my husband, who does have symptoms of PTSD, but does not realise that there is a problem, calling it "Normal memories about the war, everybody has that".
Everybody.
I guess, he met a lot of people with the same issue, who had never been diagnosed and helped.
I had seen people who survived the ecomomic hardship in their countries, and this is common for them to make large reserve of food thay can use if something happans (we call it "Russian syndrome", but other people have it as well).
And, just looking through the books, how many times had you read something like this:
-Still can not talk about ---(something).

I think, that if all this is true, the PTSD can be the world most common unrecognised disorder.

Hey Linda, great post. I agree that there must be literally millions of people worldwide who have this and don't know it or think it's normal...until this hting really started interfering with my studies, and life in general, I didn't give much thought to the war...I had the memories but brushed them off...

I think it is more common than thought of in countries with no resources... But at the same time if something is thought of as normal then it is not as traumatizing. If something is normal day to day life then it is "normal" and less likely to cause PTSD. The whole point of fight or flight is for use during times when you need it for survival. If you are in an area that is always needed then it is useful and cannot say it is a disorder. It is why the race continues. Once removed from said area where it is always needed and continue to "jump" then it is a disorder by doctors available. But without it you would have never lived elsewhere.

Though I still stockpile I do not see it as part of my disorder, I just see it as I have lived for so long on a coast where hurricanes hit and it was a need. Katrina and Rita proved that when they struck the Gulf Coast where I was. Being smart and prepared is not insanity or wrong IMHO. I saw my neighbor's homes leveled, I was lucky I just lost some animals and damaged my barn and trees.

There is a difference though between PTSD and PTS. A lot of people would have post traumatic stress, no doubts about it. Yes, there would be one hell of a lot of people running around the world with PTSD undiagnosed. You have to remember though, for the brain to malform neurologically, it needs a severe degree of abnormal trauma as perceived by that person in order to do it, not what they perceive as normal life.

If you live in a country where it is expected you die young, or starve to death, etc etc... to them, that is normal, and they grieve that process as their culture dictates. That is the big point that many people miss, being it is not just about abnormal trauma, but cultural practice comes into play to help the brain determine what is normal vs. abnormal to the brain. If it is normal in culture as a whole, then PTSD would not be as prevalent, as the brain would already be cultured to "what is normal" for itself.

Big difference compared to what we perceive as normal looking in on others.

Yes, if you can grieve your losses as they occur and thoroughly, you probably would not get ptsd, but pts instead and it would pass. It's the part where you are not allowed to grieve (cultural thing/ family dysfuntion thing?), or you cannot grieve for other reasons, maybe too busy taking care of someone else, or busy with other things so you can't slow down?

linda,

I don't post often anymore for personal reasons. But thought I would respond to your post.

Finding a Dr. to "officially" diagnose you and then be willing to help you help yourself is important. Self help usually only goes so far. Then we need more imput to help us farther along. My husband was "officially" diagnosed after 12 + yrs.

Good luck, keep going in the positive direction (slow tho it may seem, sometimes), progress is good. Don't give up.

Take Care & God Bless

Wildcritter