I agree with John. In many cases language evolves to help uncover nuance and complexity that might not have been understood before. While PTSD is clearly a very serious issue, my original impetus for leaving a comment was a recent link sent to me featuring Dana Carvey on the Conan show. Clearly, comedians like to poke fun at politicians and their euphemisms -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAO4YHBpPyU

My dad developed PTSD due to his service in Vietnam and died almost exactly five years ago because of health problems directly related to that condition. In fact, PTSD is cited as the cause of death on his death certificate. Because of his condition I researched PTSD as my thesis topic before his death. As stated, PTSD’s formal name has changed as it’s become better understood, but I would suggest that the name has also changed because previous terms developed a negative stigma that caused sufferers to be less likely to seek treatment. Shell shock was originally viewed as a coward’s disease; some governments would put active service personnel to death that admitted to having it. The name PTSD also recognizes the fact that those directly exposed to conflict aren’t the only ones that can develop the condition; exposure to any type of trauma can lead to PTSD. The changing of terminology is sometimes an attempt to camouflage meaning, but I don’t think that’s the case here.