Post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a form of chronic psychological stress that follows exposure to a traumatic event such as an earthquake, a violent crime (rape, child abuse, murder), torture, an accident, terrorism, or warfare.

Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control Find a therapist near you See the top five websites for information about anxiety For more on neurological disorders and mental health, go to our Brain & Behavior Center Anxiety-Related Clinical Trials Information Email this page Print this section

The symptoms include the following:

• recurrent, intrusive, distressing dreams and memories of the trauma
• a sudden sense that the event is recurring; experiencing flashbacks
• inability to remember aspects of the trauma
• markedly diminished interest in important activities
• feelings of detachment and estrangement from loved ones
• low expectations for the future
• insomnia or excessive fatigue
• extreme irritability
• inability to concentrate
• hypervigilance

Symptoms must last at least one month for a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. In the acute syndrome, symptoms begin within six months of the trauma. The chronic syndrome may be delayed in onset until more than six months after the event or may persist for more than six months afterward. Complications include anxiety, alcohol or drug abuse, depression, and marital or occupational problems.