Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious and potentially incapacitating condition that can occur in individuals who have experienced or witnessed traumatic events. Some examples of these traumatic events include:
- Natural disaster
- War
- Serious accident
- Terrorist incident
- Sudden death of a loved one
- Violent personal assault such as rape
Most individuals who experience these situations recover from them; however, individuals with PTSD continue to be severely affected by depression and anxiety for months or even years following the event.
Symptoms of PTSD may include:
- Being easily startled or frightened
- Flashbacks; reliving the traumatic event
- Avoiding places, or activities, or people that remind you of the traumatic event
- Hopeless thoughts about the future
- Nightmares about traumatic events
- Trouble sleeping and concentrating
- Irritability, angry outbursts and aggressive behavior
