Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event, either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Causes

PTSD can be caused by a variety of traumatic events such as war, natural disasters, sexual assault, physical abuse, and serious accidents. Individuals who have experienced or witnessed life-threatening events are at a higher risk of developing PTSD.

Symptoms

Symptoms of PTSD are generally grouped into four types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions. Symptoms can vary over time or vary from person to person.

Intrusive Memories

Intrusive memories may include recurrent, unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event, flashbacks, or nightmares.

Avoidance

Avoidance symptoms may include avoiding places, activities, or people that remind the person of the traumatic event, and avoiding thinking or talking about the event.

Negative Changes in Thinking and Mood

This can include negative thoughts about oneself or others, hopelessness about the future, memory problems, difficulty maintaining close relationships, and feeling detached from family and friends.

Changes in Physical and Emotional Reactions

Symptoms can include being easily startled, always being on guard for danger, self-destructive behavior, trouble sleeping, and irritability.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to an event that involved the threat of death, violence, or serious injury. The exposure can be indirect rather than first hand. For a diagnosis, symptoms must last more than a month and be severe enough to interfere with relationships or work. A doctor who has experience helping people with mental illnesses, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist, can diagnose PTSD.

Treatment

Treatment for PTSD typically includes psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two. Psychotherapy types may include cognitive therapy, exposure therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Medications can include antidepressants to help control symptoms.

Prognosis

The prognosis for individuals with PTSD varies. Some people recover within six months, while others have symptoms that last much longer. In some cases, the condition becomes chronic.

Epidemiology

PTSD affects people of all ages. The risk of developing PTSD is higher for women than for men. This condition is often accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or one or more of the other anxiety disorders.

History

The understanding and treatment of PTSD have evolved over time. It was once known as "shell shock" or "battle fatigue" when diagnosed in soldiers. The term PTSD was not introduced until the 1980s, when it was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM-III).