Actor Noah Wyle Encourages Americans To Take A Self-Quiz And Talk To Their Doctor About Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (NAPS)—Noah Wyle has de- voted a good deal of time to organizations that are focused on help- ing people who have experienced a trauma including physical or sexual assault, a natural disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake, a serious accident or even the sudden, unexpected death of a loved one. Now, Noah is encouragingall Americans who have experienced, witnessed or learned about a trau- matic event to learn about the signs and symptomsof a serious medical condition called posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD. PTSDcanoccurin millions of peo- ple following a traumatic event. The answersto the self-quiz below can help a physician or other Actor Noah Wyle and PTSD survivor Kellie Greene are national spokespeople for Moving Past Trauma™. qualified healthcare professional learn if someone has the symptoms of PTSD. Posttraumatic stress disorder Did you find it hard to have love or affection for other people? them women. PTSD can happen to than usual falling asleep or staying asleep? affects one out of 13 Americansat some point in their lives, most of anyone who experiences, wit- nesses or learns of a traumatic event. In some people, PTSD may develop following an extreme traumatic event in which there was threatened death or serious injury, and the individual’s response involved intense fear, help- Did you begin to feel that there was no point in planning for the future? Did you have more trouble Did you become jumpyor get easily startled by ordinary noises or movements? If you or someone you care about answered yes to some of these questions, discuss the answers with your doctor or other lessnessor horror. A study has shown that more healthcare professional. Only your doctor or other qualified health- United States will experience at least one major traumain their nosis of PTSD. To learn more about posttraumatic stress disorder and its than 50 percent of adults in the lifetime. Another study has shown that about 20 percent of those who experienced an extreme trauma went on to develop PTSD. Rape and physical assault or battering are the traumas that most often lead to PTSD. The important thing to know is that treatment of PTSDis available and recovery is possible. Your answersto the following self-quiz can help your doctor or other healthcare professional determine if you or someone you care about has symptomsof posttraumatic stress disorder.* After the traumatic event: Did you avoid being remin- care professional can make a diag- treatments, call the toll-free information line for the Pfizer/‘YWCA Moving Past Trauma™ PTSD Com- munity Outreach Program at 1- 800-455-8300. You will have an opportunity to order free educational brochures about PTSD, its treatments and this program. The free brochures are available at your local YWCAaswell. For a list of your local YWCA locations, go to www.YWCA.org. Some YWCAs throughout the country will be holding special educational programs about PTSD designed for frontline profession- ded of the experience by staying als, such as rapecrisis counselors, police, firefighters and emergency or activities? Did you lose interest in activ- these events. In addition, Noah away from certain places, people room personnel. Members of the community also will be invited to ities that were once important or enjoyable? and PTSD survivor Kellie Greene will participate in several media isolated or distant from others? the country. Did you begin to feel more events at YWCAchapters across * Breslau N Peterson EL, Kessler RC, Schultz LR. Am J Psychiatry. 1999; 156:908—911. Wording provided by N. Breslau, PhD (written communication, Sept. 21, 1999).
