What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Published in
3 min readOct 24, 2020
4 ways to know if you have it
Post-traumatic stress disorder, commonly known as PTSD, can be very debilitating. It presents itself with a number of symptoms that can be distressing for both the person who experiences them and people who are around them.
It usually starts at least a month after a traumatic event takes place.
What’s a Traumatic Event?
Generally, it’s an event in which the traumatised person thought that they, or someone close to them, were going to die or suffer from severe harm. But it can include all sorts of experiences that are perceived by the traumatised person as dangerous.
What are the symptoms of PTSD?
Usually symptoms are grouped in categories:
- Traumatic memories intrusions: this is when the person experiences flashbacks, in the form of images, feelings or body sensations.
- Avoidance of any reminders of the traumatic event, even when the link is symbolic. For example, if someone had a car accident, which they found traumatic, they may not want to sit in enclosed spaces resembling the space within the car.
- Sudden changes in mood and anxiety, which can be triggered very easily. This problem is also known as emotional dysregulation.
