Post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after a very stressful, frightening or distressing event, or after a prolonged traumatic experience.
Types of events that can lead to PTSD include:
PTSDisn't usually related tosituations that are simply upsetting, such as divorce, job loss or failing exams.
PTSD develops in about 1 in 3 people who experience severe trauma. It isn't fully understood why some people develop the condition while others don't. However, certain factors appear to make some people more likely to develop PTSD.
If you've had depression or anxiety in the past, or you don't receive much support from family or friends, you're more susceptible to developing PTSD after a traumatic event.
There may also be a genetic factor involved in PTSD. For example, having a parent with a mental health problemis thought to increase your chances of developing the condition.
Although it's not clear exactly why people develop PTSD, a number of possible reasons have been suggested. These are described below.
One suggestion is that the symptoms of PTSD are the result of an instinctivemechanismintended tohelp you survive further traumatic experiences.
For example, the flashbacks many people with PTSD experience may force you to think about the event in detail so you're better prepared if it happens again. The feeling of being "on edge" (hyperarousal) may develop to help you react quickly in another crisis.
However, whilethese responses may be intended to help you survive, they're actually very unhelpful in reality because you can't process and move on fromthe traumatic experience.
Studies have shown that people with PTSD have abnormal levels of stress hormones.
Normally, when in danger,the body produces stress hormones such as adrenaline totrigger a reaction in the body. This reaction,often known as the "fight or flight" reaction, helps to deaden the senses and dull pain.
People with PTSD have been found to continue to produce high amounts of fight or flight hormones even when there's no danger. It's thought this may be responsible for the numbed emotions and hyperarousal experienced by some people with PTSD.
In people with PTSD, parts of the brain involved in emotional processing appear different in brain scans.
One part of the brain responsible for memory and emotions is known as the hippocampus. In people with PTSD, the hippocampus appears smaller in size. It's thought thatchanges in this part of the brain may be related to fear and anxiety, memory problems and flashbacks.
The malfunctioning hippocampus may prevent flashbacks and nightmares from being properly processed, so the anxiety they generate doesn't reduce over time.
Treatment of PTSD results in proper processing of the memories so, over time, the flashbacks and nightmares gradually disappear.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events.
The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can have a significant impact on your day-to-day life.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after a single very stressful, frightening or distressing event, or after a prolonged traumatic experience.
The main treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are psychotherapy or medication.
Complex PTSD may be diagnosed in people who have repeatedly experienced traumatic events, either as a child or an adult.
In some exceptional cases, the vivid recollection of a trauma can cause distress many years after the incident. Andy, an ex-fire officer, describes his