PTSD—known to previous generations as shell shock, soldier's heart, combat fatigue, or war neurosis—has roots stretching back centuries and was widely known during ancient times.
High-functioning PTSD can look good on the outside while hiding a multitude of fraying threads. Though many men and women carry their 'functional' PTSD for years without further damage, most people lose the ability to manage their functionality in life.
People who do develop PTSD are not “weak.” They have experienced an event that they struggle to understand, and their bodies and brains are “stuck” replaying the event and all the upsetting emotions that come with it.
Individuals in positions more likely to be exposed to traumatic circumstances are generally perceived as “tougher” people: firefighters, police officers, medical workers, and military personnel. As such, they aren’t expected to be people who can get PTSD due to this exposure.
After all, PTSD is what happens to “weaker” people, right? But actually, this is a misunderstanding of PTSD and mental illness in general. Anyone can struggle for various reasons, and how tough they are, has no bearing on their mental health.