Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by extremely stressful, frightening, or distressing experiences.
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Symptoms of PTSD
People with PTSD often relive the traumatic event through nightmares or flashbacks.
They may also experience feelings of isolation, irritability, and guilt.
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Common symptoms include difficulty sleeping (such as insomnia) and trouble concentrating.
These symptoms can be intense and persistent, significantly affecting a person’s daily life.
Causes of PTSD
PTSD can result from any event that a person finds traumatic. Some examples include:
Serious road accidents
Violent personal assaults (such as sexual assault, mugging, or robbery)
Severe health issues
Traumatic childbirth experiences
PTSD can develop right after the event or appear weeks, months, or even years later.
It’s estimated that about 1 in 3 people who experience trauma will develop PTSD, though it’s unclear why some people are more vulnerable than others.
Treatment for PTSD
PTSD can be effectively treated, even if it develops many years after the traumatic event. Treatment options depend on the severity of symptoms and how soon they appear after the trauma.
Possible treatment approaches include:
Watchful waiting: Monitoring symptoms to see if they improve on their own or worsen without treatment
Antidepressants: Medications such as paroxetine or sertraline
Talking therapies: Approaches like trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)