America had a rough time last week. The Boston bombings, the explosion in West, Texas, and the Boston manhunt have been difficult for many to cope with.

As the news of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. sinks in across the nation, many parents may be struggling to find ways to help their children process the news.

When tragedies strike that affect communities or the nation as a whole, it is important to take the time to care for mental health. Sometimes traumas can cause mental distress not only for those directly involved, but for widespread publics too.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects people who have experienced traumatic events and the symptoms can interfere with daily life.  Natural disasters, combat situations, physical or sexual assault, and witnessing crimes are all traumatic events that, in some cases, result in PTSD.

Though surely around for as long as man has encountered trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was not recognized by the American Psychiatric Association until the third edition of the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) was published in 1980.

Dawnene Harper often finds herself looking for something - a book, a photo album, a kitchen tool - before she remembers. "Oh, right," the New Orleans resident has to remind herself. "I don't have that anymore. I lost it in the storm."

There is little debate that children who are abused, physically or mentally, undergo such significant trauma that they often carry it throughout their lives. Child abuse can affect a person's mental health forever, leading to depression and other psychological disorders later in life.

A ten-year anniversary is a seminal thing, especially when it marks something as momentous and life-changing as 9/11. Something that we experienced collectively, as Americans, that forever changed us.