PTSD — Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) develops in response to exposure to a traumatic event (actual or threatened) involving death, serious injury, or sexual violence — experienced directly, witnessed, or learned about happening to a close family member or friend. Not everyone exposed to trauma develops PTSD; resilience factors, social support, and the characteristics of the trauma itself all influence the risk.
PTSD has four symptom clusters: intrusion (flashbacks, nightmares, distress at reminders of the trauma), avoidance (of thoughts, feelings, or external reminders), negative changes in cognition and mood (persistent negative beliefs, guilt, negative affect, loss of interest), and hyperarousal (hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, sleep difficulty, irritability).
Treatments with the strongest evidence: trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT, CPT), EMDR, and pharmacotherapy with SSRIs.
💡 Practical example
After an armed robbery, Maria develops PTSD: she avoids the neighborhood where it happened, has intrusive flashbacks, is constantly 'on alert,' and has frequent nightmares. PTSD differs from a normal stress reaction in how long it persists (more than a month) and the significant impairment it causes.
Related terms
Put this knowledge into practice
Balanced Mind brings together the tools you need to manage anxiety day to day.
Works right in your browser — nothing to install.
Start for free