Condition : Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Condition Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

What is PTSD?

PTSD is a mental health condition caused by very stressful, frightening, or distressing events.

The symptoms can affect day-to-day life. These may include:

re-experiencing the traumatic event through flashbacks, nightmares, constant thoughts, or physical sensations
avoidance and emotional numbing, leading to isolation, giving up activities, or using work or hobbies as a distraction
hyperarousal (feeling ‘on edge’) which leads to outbursts of anger, sleeping problems, or difficulty concentrating
depression, anxiety, phobias, or other mental health problems
self-harming or destructive behaviour, such as alcohol and drug misuse
physical symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness, chest pains, and stomach aches

Complex PTSD

People who repeatedly experience traumatic situations, such as severe neglect, abuse, or violence, may be diagnosed with complex PTSD.

A diagnosis of complex PTSD is more likely if the trauma happened at a young age (when your brain was still developing), if you were harmed by someone close to you, or you were unable to escape the trauma for a long time.

Alongside symptoms of PTSD, the symptoms of complex PTSD may include:

feelings of worthlessness, shame, and guilt
problems controlling your emotions
finding it hard to feel connected with other people
relationship problems, like having trouble keeping friends and partners

What causes PTSD?

Any situation that a person finds traumatic can cause PTSD. It can develop immediately after the event, or it can occur weeks, months, or even years later.

Types of events that can lead to PTSD include:

serious accidents
physical or sexual assault
abuse, including childhood or domestic abuse
exposure to traumatic events at work, including remote exposure
being a victim of a crime (for example, a burglary)
serious health problems, such as being admitted to intensive care
childbirth experiences, such as losing a baby (see birth trauma)
the death of someone close to you
war and conflict
torture

About a third of people who have a traumatic experience develop PTSD, but it's not clear why some people do while others don’t.

Differences in the brain, such as the part responsible for memory and emotions (hippocampus) being smaller and not functioning properly, are thought to be possible causes for PTSD. Another example is ‘fight or flight’ hormones, like adrenaline, still being produced in high amounts even when there’s no danger.

Having another mental health condition or a family history of mental health problems may be risk factors for PTSD.