Hi Peter,
A little off raw so I apologize again,

>>I apologize for any lack of sensitivity on my part.  What I was trying to
>say was that somebody previously traumatized has a lower threshold for
>future stress.

Yes. As a matter of fact, my daughter's teacher who was traumatized with
child abuse as a child, took some pills and set herself on fire last
Thursday thus supporting the theory.

>>PTSD is a NORMAL reaction to abnormal stimuli.

>The powerlessness they felt during the earthquake resonated with and re-stimulated the
>feelings of powerlessness they had felt when abused as children.

Good example!

>But it still does not explain why not everybody under the exact same gruesome scenarios
>ends up with PTSD.

Most of the combat vets I have met have PTSD in one form or another. They
clearly have that '1000 yard stare', emotional detachment, etc.

>  If you could point to any source of information that might shed some light on the issue,
> it would be much appreciated.

http://espsun.space.swri.edu/patience/index.htm for PTSD101
Recovering from the War by Patience Mason is good.

>Susan, I am glad you spoke up.  I apologize for any pain or embarrassment
>my careless remarks might have caused.

That is really considerate. It is another enormous topic like religion or food that is very
misunderstood. Only the grunt can really know. Thanks again for your compassionate response.

All the best,
Susan