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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops in response to being the victim of a traumatic event such as war, rape and assault, or being a witness to a traumatic event. PTSD occurs in a minority of people experiencing trauma- usually the memory and impact of the trauma recedes over time.
In PTSD, the experience of the event does not fade normally over time and the person frequently re- lives the event, often having nightmares, flashbacks and auditory or visual hallucinations.
Sometimes anxiety relating to a traumatic event surfaces much later. The person experiencing PTSD attempts to block the pain in a number of ways, including shutting off emotions, restricting activities or relationships that remind the person of the trauma, and using alcohol or drugs to cope. Sleep disturbance is common.
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