Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events.
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Someone with PTSD often relives the traumatic event through nightmares and flashbacks, and may experience feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt.
They may also have problems sleeping and find concentrating difficult.
These symptoms are often severe and persistent enough to have a significant impact on the person’s day to day life.
Causes of PTSD
Any situation that a person finds traumatic can cause PTSD, including:
- Serious road accidents
- Violent personal assaults, such as sexual assault, mugging or robbery
- Serious health problems
- Childbirth experiences
- Serving in the Armed Forces
PTSD can develop immediately after someone experiences a disturbing event, or it can occur weeks, months or even years later.
PTSD is estimated to affect about 1 in every 3 people who have a traumatic experience, but it’s not clear exactly why some people develop the condition and others do not.
Find out more about PTSD on the NHS website
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