Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after an individual has experienced a traumatic or life-threatening event. PTSD can affect people who have directly experienced or witnessed traumatic events, and it can also occur in individuals who have learned about a traumatic event happening to a loved one. The condition is characterized by a range of symptoms that persist for an extended period after the traumatic experience, and it can significantly impact a person’s daily life and well-being.

Re-experiencing symptoms include:

• Experiencing flashbacks—reliving the traumatic event
• Nightmares, or dreams related to the event
• Having distressing thoughts
• Experiencing increase of heart rate and/or sweating

Avoidance symptoms include:

• Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders
• Suppressing thoughts, or feelings related to the traumatic event
• Change of routines such as: avoid driving, or riding in a car after a serious car accident

Arousal and reactivity symptoms include:

• Being easily startled
• Feeling tense, on guard, or on edge
• Having difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep
• Feeling irritable and having angry, or aggressive outbursts
• Engaging in risky, reckless, or destructive behavior

Cognition and mood symptoms include:

• Having trouble remembering key features of the traumatic event
• Having negative thoughts about oneself, or the world
• Having exaggerated feelings of blame directed toward oneself, or others
• Having ongoing negative emotions, such as fear, anger, guilt, or shame