ABSTRACT
Over half the adult population (61% of men and 51% of women) experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, with 10% of men and 6% of women reporting four or more types of trauma (Kessler et al. 1995). Despite trauma being commonplace, only a small proportion, 10% of women and 5% of men, go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Kessler et al. 1995). These findings are an apt reminder of the dictum of the Stoic philosoher, Epictetus, who in the first century AD said, ‘People are disturbed not so much by events as by the way in which they view them’. This is not to deny that biological factors may also play a part in the variability of response to stress; indeed the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-V work group is considering classifying PTSD as a ‘stress-induced fear circuitry disorder’.
