PTSD

__**Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder**__



__**Background **__
 * PTSD was first diagnosed in soldiers at the beginning of the 20th century.
 * When you experience an overwhelmingly frightening event – one in which it seems possible that you could die or be seriously injured – Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is often the result.
 * The event may be something you experience directly or it may be something you see happening to someone else.
 * The closer to, and the more involved you are, the more intense your reaction will be.
 * If you suffer from PTSD, the fear almost never disappears.
 * It is a constant reminder of a specific, horrible event – a trauma – that you or someone you know experienced.
 * You may even suffer from PTSD if a family member or close friend suffers a traumatic event and then shares the experience with you.
 * If you suffer from PTSD you will continue to relive the horrible experience, long after it happened.

**__You can get PTSD after you have been__**:
 * **Raped or sexually abused **
 * Hit or harmed by someone in your family
 * A victim of a violent crime
 * In an airplane or car crash
 * In a hurricane, tornado, or fire
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In a war
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In an event where you thought you might be killed
 * **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Or, after you have seen any of these events **



__**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Qualitites of PTSD **__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Everyone who experiences PTSD have different symptoms, but the common qualities most people share that experience PTSD are:
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Continuing to re-live the trauma
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Avoiding any situation that is similar to or reminds you of the original experience
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Constantly watching and waiting for a repeat of the experience, and feeling very anxious

__**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">PTSD in The Kite Runner **__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">PTSD is found in The Kite Runner through the character, Amir. After watching Hassan get raped, Amir feels guilty and continuously relives this moment desperately trying to get rid of everything that reminds him of it. Here are some examples in the text:

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"That was the night I became an insomniac." -Amir (pg. 86)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"He [Hassan] asked me to read to him from the //Shahnamah// and I told him I changed my mind. Told him I just wanted to go back to my room." -Amir (pg. 87)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"You haven't done anything Hassan. Just go...I want you to stop harassing me. I want you to go away." -Amir (pg. 88)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"Baba, have you ever thought about getting new servants?" -Amir (pg. 89)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"When was the last time I had spoken his [Hassan's] name? Those thorny old barbs of guilt bore into me once more, as if speaking his name had broken a spell, set them free to torment me anew." -Amir (pg. 202)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Discussion Questions**__
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Do any of the other characters in The Kite Runner suffer from PTSD?
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In what ways is Amir trying to cure himself of his PTSD?
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">How does Amir's PTSD affect his relationships with the people in his life?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Helpful Links**__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">__[]__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">__[]__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[]

__**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">References **__

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">﻿Hosseini, K. (2005). //The kite runner//. New York, NY: Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">National Institute of Mental Health. (2005). //Post traumatic stress disorder//. Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Rosen, M. (2003). //Understanding post traumatic stress disorder.// United States: Chelsea House Publishers.