What is post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can happen after a person experiences a traumatic event that causes them to feel scared, shocked, or helpless. It can have long-term effects, including flashbacks, difficulty sleeping, and anxiety.
PTSD is thought to affect around 6%Â of the population at some point in their lives. It is more likely to affect women than men. Each year in the United States, around 12 million adults have PTSD. Many more experience trauma without developing PTSD.
This article looks at what PTSD is, its symptoms, possible causes, treatments, and more.
What is post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD?
PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop following a traumatic event. People with PTSD have intense, distressing thoughts related to the event and may have flashbacks and nightmares.
Fear and shock are natural responses to trauma, and most people recover from these with time. If anxiety and other negative feelings continue, doctors may diagnose PTSD.
PTSD can disrupt a person’s life for years, but treatment can help them recover.
What are traumatic events?
Examples of events that can trigger PTSD include accidents, wars, crimes, fires, the death of a loved one, abuse, or any event that causes shock and fear.
Thoughts and memories may recur even though the danger has passed.
Types of PTSD
Mental health professionals may diagnose various subtypes of PTSD. These subtypes may have different underlying causes and symptoms. Subtypes include:
- Complex PTSD: This may develop following repeated trauma, particularly in childhood.
- Dissociative PTSD (D-PTSD): People with D-PTSD may experience dissociative symptoms, such as feeling that they or the world around them are not real.
- Birth trauma: This can occur following a traumatic childbirth experience.
- Delayed expression PTSD: People with this subtype experience symptoms 6 months or more after a traumatic event.
- PTSD for children 6 years and younger: This subtype recognizes the specific signs of PTSD that young children may express.
Only D-PTSD and the preschool subtype are included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5). Psychiatrists use the DSM-5 to help diagnose mental health conditions.
Read more about types of PTSD.
Symptoms of PTSD in adults
Symptoms usually start within 3 months of the traumatic event, but they can begin later.
For a person to receive a diagnosis of PTSD, they must meet criteria set out in the DSM-5.
According to these guidelines, the person must:
- experience exposure to death or a personal death threat, a serious injury or sexual violence whether directly, as a witness, by it happening to a loved one, or during professional duties
- experience the following for more than 1 month:
- one or more intrusion symptoms
- one or more avoidance symptoms
- two or more symptoms that affect mood and thinking
- two or more arousal and reactivity symptoms that began after the trauma
Below are examples of these types of symptoms:
Intrusion symptoms
Intrusion symptoms include:
- nightmares
- flashbacks and a sensation that the event is happening again
- fearful thoughts
Avoidance symptoms
Avoidance symptoms include:
- refusing to discuss the event
- avoiding situations that remind the person of the event
Symptoms that affect mood and thinking
These include:
- inability to remember some aspects of the event
- feelings of guilt and blame
- feeling detached and estranged from others and emotionally and mentally numbed
- having reduced interest in life
- difficulty concentrating
Arousal and reactivity symptoms
Arousal and reactivity symptoms include:
- difficulty sleeping
- irritability and angry outbursts
- hypersensitivity to possible dangers
- feeling tense and anxious
In addition, these symptoms must cause a person distress or difficulty coping with work or relationships. The symptoms must not be due to the use of medications or other substances or another health condition.
Physical symptoms of PTSD
People may also have the following physical symptoms of PTSD, but the DSM-5 criteria do not include these:
- physical effects, including sweating, shaking, headaches, stomach problems, dizziness, aches and pains, and chest pain
- a weakened immune system, which can lead to more frequent infections
- sleep disturbances that can result in tiredness and other problems
A person may experience long-term behavioral changes that contribute to problems at work and a breakdown in their relationships. They may start to seek numbing behaviors, such as misusing alcohol, drugs, or medications.
Treatment for PTSD
Treatment for PTSD usually involves psychotherapy and counseling, medication, or a combination.
Psychotherapy for PTSD
A healthcare professional will specially tailor options for psychotherapy for managing trauma. They include:
- Cognitive processing therapy (CPT): Also known as cognitive restructuring, the individual learns how to think about things in a new way. Mental imagery of the traumatic event may help them work through their trauma to gain control of their fear and distress.
- Prolonged exposure therapy: This teaches people with PTSD to approach their thoughts and feelings about a traumatic event. Discussing the event and gradually confronting the cause of their fear in a safe and controlled environment may help the person feel more in control.
Summary
PTSD is a mental health condition that can occur after a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event.
A person with PTSD may experience intrusive thoughts and memories. They may consciously or unconsciously avoid places or people that remind them of the trauma. A person may also experience difficulty sleeping and feel tense, anxious, and irritable.
A person should see a doctor if they develop symptoms that disrupt their home, work, or social life after experiencing a traumatic event. A mental health professional will be able to diagnose PTSD and provide support.
Treatments for PTSD include psychotherapy and medication.
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