The development of posttraumatic stress disorder following an unusual life event: a case report

Posttraumatic stress disorder is the only psychiatric disorder, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, that requires a specific life-threatening event to have occurred prior to diagnosing the illness. The traumatic event is described as an experience of witnessing either the occurrence, or imminent threat, of serious injury or death. This case report describes the development of posttraumatic stress in a middle-aged man, with no prior psychiatric history, after he ingested part of a candy bar he later discovered to be infested with maggots. This case report adds to the literature supporting a broader diagnostic view of posttraumatic stress in the absence of life-threatening stressors.