Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape.

Most survivors of trauma return to normal given a little time. However, some people will have stress reactions that do not go away on their own, or may even get worse over time.

These individuals may develope post traumatic stress disorder. People who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged, and these symptoms can be severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the person's daily life.

Post traumatic stress disorder is marked by clear biological changes as well as psychological symptoms. Post traumatic stress disorder is complicated by the fact that it frequently occurs in conjunction with related disorders such as depression or substance abuse.