What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder PTSD

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is a serious disorder that can develop after a person has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event that threatens death or violence. People who have been abused as children or who have been repeatedly exposed to life-threatening situations are at greater risk for developing PTSD. Victims of trauma related to physical and sexual assault face the greatest risk.

People with PTSD have symptoms for longer than one month and cannot function like they used to. The symptoms occur usually within three months of the event but can show up years later. There are four categories for the symptoms of PTSD: reliving, avoiding, increased arousal, and negative cognition and mood. 

Defining the four symptoms of PTSD:

1. When an individual is reliving, they may experience flashbacks, hallucinations, and nightmares. 
2. When avoiding the individual may stay away from other people, places, or situations that may remind them of the trauma. 
3. When an individual is in increased arousal, they may experience intense emotions, may have difficulty showing affection, have sleep problems, anger, difficulty concentrating, may be easily startled, or irritable.  
4. When an individual experiences negative cognition and mood this is about the individual’s thoughts and feeling in reference to blame, estrangement, and memories of the trauma.

PTSD is diagnosed by a mental health professional. 

Treatment for PTSD may involve psychotherapy, medication, or both. There are also alternative approaches to the treatment of PTSD. The goal in treatment of this disorder is to reduce emotional and physical symptoms to improve day to day functioning and to help the individual develop coping skills to better deal with events that triggered the development of the disorder.