Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (pronounced pohst-traw-mat-ik stress dis-or-der), often abbreviated as PTSD, is a Mental Disorder that can develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, or other threats on a person's life.
Etymology
The term "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" comes from the Greek word "trauma" meaning "wound" and the Latin "post" meaning "after". The term was first used in the 1970s to describe the symptoms experienced by many Vietnam War veterans.
Symptoms
Symptoms of PTSD may include disturbing thoughts, feelings, or dreams related to the events, mental or physical distress to trauma-related cues, attempts to avoid trauma-related cues, alterations in how a person thinks and feels, and an increase in the fight-or-flight response. These symptoms last for more than a month after the event. Young children are less likely to show distress but instead may express their memories through play.
Related Terms
Treatment
Treatment for PTSD includes different types of Psychotherapy as well as medications to manage symptoms. Types of therapies used include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and Exposure Therapy. Medications such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Benzodiazepines may also be used.
This WikiMD.org article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.