Approximately 7.7 million American adults age 18 and older have post-traumatic stress disorder , according to the National Institutes of Health . While the disorder is often associated with war veterans who have been exposed to extended violence , PTSD and its treatments involve more than you might think . Here are five things about post-traumatic stress disorder that might surprise you : . 1 . You can get PTSD from your ZIP code . Post-traumatic stress disorder is n't just limited to troops and victims of violence . Constant violence outside your front door , including hearing gunshots or knowing a murder victim , can keep you on high alert . Research completed by Emory University professor of psychiatry Dr. Kerry Ressler and his colleagues provides evidence of higher rates of PTSD in some urban populations than in war veterans . Cities such as Washington , Chicago and Los Angeles in particular have seen an increase in cases , they say . 2 . Ecstasy might help . We 're not just talking about finding moments of joy or spiritual awareness . The illegal drug MDMA , also know as Ecstasy or Molly , has been shown to help some individuals suffering from PTSD . Combined with therapy , it can assist in processing traumatic memories and change thought patterns surrounding traumatic events . Rachel Hope was part of one MDMA study . She estimates that 80 % of her symptoms disappeared after her first MDMA-assisted therapy session . 3 . Heart attack and stroke survivors are at risk . Surviving a traumatizing medical event can also trigger post-traumatic stress disorder . Donald Edmondson , an assistant professor of behavioral medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center , and his colleagues analyzed heart attack and stroke patients in two different studies . They found that one in four stroke patients had PTSD within a year of having a stroke . And about one in eight heart attack survivors developed post-traumatic stress disorder -- plus , those that did were twice as likely to have another heart attack or die within three years after the first attack . 4 . It reduces gray matter in your brain . According to the National Instituties of Health , gray matter is made up of neurons and other cells that send signals throughout your brain . Post-traumatic stress disorder can cause interference . A study published by the Society of Biological Psychiatry found that PTSD specifically affected the gray matter networks related to emotion processing , fear extinction and emotion regulation , which can lead to distorted emotional memories and the inability to regulate fear responses . There 's some good news , however . A 2013 study found that structural damage to gray matter caused by post-traumatic stress disorder does improve over time , but the brain might not return to pre-trauma functioning . 5 . How you respond immediately after a traumatic event matters . Dr. Charles Raison , CNN Health 's mental health expert , explains that people who have strong emotional reactions and feelings of terror immediately following a traumatic event are more likely to develop PTSD . Disassociation and `` spacing out '' can also put people more at risk for the disorder . Individuals who are more calm and collected after trauma , on the other hand , tend to do better in the long run . The NIH lists treatments such as talk therapy , exposure therapy and medications for PTSD . Contacting friends and family for support following an event is also an important step in the healing process .
7.7 million American adults have post - traumatic stress disorder . Your neighborhood can stress you out . Studies show some illegal drugs can be effective treatments . Heart attack and stroke survivors are at risk for depression .