post-traumatic stress disorder

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post-traumatic stress disorder

psychology

Also known as: PTSD, post-traumatic stress syndrome

Written by Robert E. Emery

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 10, 2024 • Article History

Category: Science & Tech

Also called:: post-traumatic stress syndrome

Related Topics:: mental disorder; anxiety disorder; neurosis; reactive attachment disorder; trauma

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post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), emotional condition that sometimes follows a traumatic event, particularly an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious bodily injury to oneself or others and that creates intense feelings of fear, helplessness, or horror. The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include the reexperiencing of the trauma either through upsetting thoughts or memories or, in extreme cases, through a flashback in which the trauma is relived at full emotional intensity. People with PTSD often report a general feeling of emotional numbness, experience increased anxiety and vigilance, and avoid reminders of the trauma, such as specific situations, ...(100 of 671 words)

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