Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Nightmare After The Ordeal
Sarah is a 28 y/o accountant who had a traumatic past that she
kept to herself. At age 15, she was grabbed by a masked man
while she was jogging in a park. The man threatened to kill her
with a knife and brutally raped her. She screamed but nobody
seemed to have heard her.
Since that time, Sarah has developed nightmares about being
raped or killed. In most days, she has suffered from flashbacks
of her being attacked. Each time she watches TV shows that
remind her of the incident, she gets scared, overwhelmed, and
becomes agitated. At times, she develops anxiety attacks,
palpitations, sweating, and restlessness.
Since the attack, Sarah can hardly trust people. As a result,
her relationships have profoundly suffered. More recently, she