Post traumatic stress disorder

What is the Disorder?

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury.

Red Flags to watch out for

• Intrusive thoughts such as repeated, involuntary memories; distressing dreams; or flashbacks of the traumatic event.
• Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event may include avoiding people, places, activities, objects and situations that may trigger distressing memories.
• Inability to remember important aspects of the traumatic event, negative thoughts and feelings leading to ongoing and distorted beliefs about oneself or others.
• Arousal and reactive symptoms may include being irritable and having angry outbursts, behaving recklessly or in a self-destructive way, or having problems concentrating or sleeping.