Posttraumatic syndrome

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Other names	PTSD, posttraumatic stress syndrome

Posttraumatic 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 and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Causes

PTSD can occur after a person experiences or witnesses a deeply traumatic or life-threatening event. This includes, but is not limited to, war, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, serious accidents, or physical or sexual assault in adult or childhood.

Symptoms

Symptoms of PTSD may include:

• Intrusive memories, which can include recurrent, unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event, flashbacks, or severe emotional distress or physical reactions to something that reminds the person of the traumatic event.
• Avoidance of reminders of the traumatic event, including places, activities, people, and thoughts that are reminders of the trauma.
• Negative changes in thinking and mood, such as negative thoughts about oneself or others, hopelessness, memory problems, difficulty maintaining close relationships, and feeling detached from family and friends.
• Changes in physical and emotional reactions, also known as arousal symptoms, which can include being easily startled, always being on guard for danger, self-destructive behavior, trouble sleeping, and irritability or angry outbursts.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to an event that involved the actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. The exposure can be:

• Directly experiencing the traumatic event
• Witnessing, in person, the event as it occurred to others
• Learning that the traumatic event occurred to a close family member or close friend
• Experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event(s)

Treatment

Treatment for PTSD may include psychotherapy (a type of counseling), medication, or both. Effective psychotherapies tend to emphasize teaching the person skills to manage symptoms and develop ways of coping. Therapy also aims to teach the person and their family about the disorder, and help the person work through the parts of the event that are particularly frightening or are being avoided.

Epidemiology

PTSD affects people of all ages. The likelihood of developing PTSD after a traumatic event varies by trauma type and is higher for events that involve interpersonal violence, such as rape or war.

See also

• Anxiety disorder
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Trauma and stressor related disorders