ABSTRACT
PTSD begins, by definition, in the aftermath of a traumatic experience (Table 6.1). DSM-IV attempts to define the traumatic event in both objective terms (there is physical danger) and subjective ones (there is horror, fear). Traumatic events classically associated with PTSD include interpersonal traumas such as combat (more common in men) and rape (more common in women), as well as natural disasters.
