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Being easily startled or frightened

Always being on guard for danger

Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast

Trouble sleeping

Trouble concentrating

Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behavior

Overwhelming guilt or shame

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Overview

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event - either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD.

Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function.

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Symptoms

Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms may start within one month of a traumatic event, but sometimes symptoms may not appear until years after the event. These symptoms cause significant problems in social or work situations and in relationships. They can also interfere with your ability to go about your normal daily tasks.

PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into four types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions. Symptoms can vary over time or vary from person to person.
Intrusive memories
Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:

Recurrent, unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event

Reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again (flashbacks)

Upsetting dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event

Severe emotional distress or physical reactions to something that reminds you of the traumatic event

Avoidance
Symptoms of avoidance may include:

Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event

Avoiding places, activities or people that remind you of the traumatic event

Negative changes in thinking and mood
Symptoms of negative changes in thinking and mood may include:

Negative thoughts about yourself, other people or the world

Hopelessness about the future

Memory problems, including not remembering important aspects of the traumatic event

Difficulty maintaining close relationships

Feeling detached from family and friends

Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed

Difficulty experiencing positive emotions

Feeling emotionally numb

Changes in physical and emotional reactions
Symptoms of changes in physical and emotional reactions (also called arousal symptoms) may include:

Being easily startled or frightened

Always being on guard for danger

Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast

Trouble sleeping

Trouble concentrating

Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behavior

Overwhelming guilt or shame

For children 6 years old and younger, signs and symptoms may also include:

Re-enacting the traumatic event or aspects of the traumatic event through play

Frightening dreams that may or may not include aspects of the traumatic event

Intensity of symptoms
PTSD symptoms can vary in intensity over time. You may have more PTSD symptoms when you're stressed in general, or when you come across reminders of what you went through. For example, you may hear a car backfire and relive combat experiences. Or you may see a report on the news about a sexual assault and feel overcome by memories of your own assault.
When to see a doctor
If you have disturbing thoughts and feelings about a traumatic event for more than a month, if they're severe, or if you feel you're having trouble getting your life back under control, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. Getting treatment as soon as possible can help prevent PTSD symptoms from getting worse.
If you have suicidal thoughts
If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, get help right away through one or more of these resources:

Reach out to a close friend or loved one.

Contact a minister, a spiritual leader or someone in your faith community.

Contact a suicide hotline. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Or use the Lifeline Chat. Services are free and confidential.

Make an appointment with your doctor or a mental health professional.

When to get emergency help
If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

If you know someone who's in danger of attempting suicide or has made a suicide attempt, make sure someone stays with that person to keep him or her safe. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Or, if you can do so safely, take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room.

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Causes

You can develop post-traumatic stress disorder when you go through, see or learn about an event involving actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violation.

Doctors aren't sure why some people get PTSD. As with most mental health problems, PTSD is probably caused by a complex mix of:

Stressful experiences, including the amount and severity of trauma you've gone through in your life

Inherited mental health risks, such as a family history of anxiety and depression

Inherited features of your personality - often called your temperament

The way your brain regulates the chemicals and hormones your body releases in response to stress

Risk factors

People of all ages can have post-traumatic stress disorder. However, some factors may make you more likely to develop PTSD after a traumatic event, such as:

Experiencing intense or long-lasting trauma

Having experienced other trauma earlier in life, such as childhood abuse

Having a job that increases your risk of being exposed to traumatic events, such as military personnel and first responders

Having other mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression

Having problems with substance misuse, such as excess drinking or drug use

Lacking a good support system of family and friends

Having blood relatives with mental health problems, including anxiety or depression

Kinds of traumatic events
The most common events leading to the development of PTSD include:

Combat exposure

Childhood physical abuse

Sexual violence

Physical assault

Being threatened with a weapon

An accident

Many other traumatic events also can lead to PTSD, such as fire, natural disaster, mugging, robbery, plane crash, torture, kidnapping, life-threatening medical diagnosis, terrorist attack, and other extreme or life-threatening events.

Complications

Post-traumatic stress disorder can disrupt your whole life - your job, your relationships, your health and your enjoyment of everyday activities.

Having PTSD may also increase your risk of other mental health problems, such as:

Depression and anxiety

Issues with drugs or alcohol use

Eating disorders

Suicidal thoughts and actions

Prevention

After surviving a traumatic event, many people have PTSD-like symptoms at first, such as being unable to stop thinking about what's happened. Fear, anxiety, anger, depression, guilt - all are common reactions to trauma. However, the majority of people exposed to trauma do not develop long-term post-traumatic stress disorder.

Getting timely help and support may prevent normal stress reactions from getting worse and developing into PTSD. This may mean turning to family and friends who will listen and offer comfort. It may mean seeking out a mental health professional for a brief course of therapy. Some people may also find it helpful to turn to their faith community.

Support from others also may help prevent you from turning to unhealthy coping methods, such as misuse of alcohol or drugs.

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - Symptoms and causes

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event, causing flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety.

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Experiencing violence, including military combat, a terrorist attack, or any violent assault

Being raped or sexually assaulted

Being abused, harassed or bullied - including racism, sexism, homophobia, and other types of abuse targeting your identity

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Cognitive Therapy: talk therapy helps you recognize the ways of thinking that are keeping you stuck

Negative side effects: you may cry, feel upset, or get angry during a challenging session

Exposure Therapy: helps you safely face both situations and memories that you find frightening so that you can learn to cope with them effectively. Exposure therapy can be particularly helpful for flashbacks and nightmares

Negative side effects: allows you to reenter the setting where you experienced the trauma

EMDR: combines exposure therapy with a series of guided eye movements that help you process traumatic memories and change how you react to them

Negative side effects: emotional distress, temporary increase in anxiety, vivid dreams, an re-experiencing traumatic memories

Antidepressants: help symptoms of depression, anxiety, and they can also help improve sleep problems and concentration

Negative side effects: feeling agitated, shaky or anxious, feeling and being sick, indigestion and stomach aches

Anti anxiety medications: relieve severe anxiety and related problems

Negative side effects: potential for abuse

Source #2: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355973

Source #3: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/medicines-and-psychiatry/antidepressants/side-effects/

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What Are The Potential Side Effects Of EMDR Therapy

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Discover potential side effects of EMDR therapy in our informative blog. Empower your healing journey now. Click to read more!

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What percentage of the U.S. and world have this mental illness?

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What percentage of the U.S. and world have this mental illness?

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U.S. ---> 6%

World ---> 3.6%

Source #2: https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/ptsd-statistics/#:~:text=In%20the%20U.S.%2C%20about%206,100%20adults%20will%20have%20PTSD.

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How Common Is PTSD in Adults?

Most people experience a traumatic event at some point in their lives. It's typical for anyone to have a reaction to such events and recover over time. Some people develop PTSD. Learn how many adults have PTSD in the United States.

Reading time: minutes

Traumatic Events by the Numbers

PTSD can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. The word "trauma" is used for many different types of experiences that are stressful. But not all stressful events are the type of trauma that can lead to PTSD. To be at risk for PTSD, the trauma must be a shocking and dangerous event that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others' lives are in danger.

Most of us will experience at least one trauma in our lifetime that could lead to PTSD. There are factors that put you at risk of experiencing a trauma, many of which are not under your control. For example, if you were directly exposed to the trauma or injured, you are more likely to develop PTSD. Men and women are likely to experience different types of traumatic events. It is more common for women to be sexually assaulted. Men are more likely to experience accidents, physical assault, combat or to witness death or injury. We are also learning more about how those who identify as transgender or as nonbinary-a gender identity other than male or female-are at risk of trauma. More research needs to be done to understand how trauma risk varies by race and ethnicity, religion, sexuality, disability status, and other social factors.

PTSD by the Numbers

We don't know the exact number of people who have PTSD. There are reasons why it is difficult to have an exact or up-to-date count:

There is no single study that asks everyone about PTSD.

If a study asks people if they have ever been diagnosed with PTSD, they may not remember. Or they may not have ever talked to a doctor about their trauma or symptoms, so did not get diagnosed.

If a study measures trauma history and symptoms in the present moment, all types of people need to be in that study to have good data. If the data is collected from a sample of people who are not representative of all Americans, then we won't have good estimates.

At different points in time-like during a war or pandemic, or in a year with multiple natural disasters-more people may be at risk of PTSD because more people are experiencing traumatic events.

Here are the best estimates for how common PTSD is in the U.S. adult population:

Most people who go through a traumatic event will not develop PTSD.

About 6 out of every 100 people (or 6% of the U.S. population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives. Many people who have PTSD will recover and no longer meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD after treatment. So, this number counts people who have PTSD at any point in their life, even if their symptoms go away.

About 5 out of every 100 adults (or 5%) in the U.S. has PTSD in any given year. In 2020, about 13 million Americans had PTSD.

Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men. About 8 of every 100 women (or 8%) and 4 of every 100 men (or 4%) will have PTSD at some point in their life. This is in part due to the types of traumatic events that women are more likely to experience-such as sexual assault-compared to men.

Veterans are more likely to have PTSD than civilians. Veterans who deployed to a war zone are also more likely to have PTSD than those who did not deploy. Learn more: How Common Is PTSD in Veterans?

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Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you've earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member-like health care, disability, education, and more.

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Factors to be more at risk of having PTSD

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Factors to be more at risk of having PTSD

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Being exposed to previous traumatic experiences, particularly during childhood

Getting hurt or seeing people hurt or killed

Feeling horror, helplessness, or extreme fear

Having little or no social support after the event

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National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

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What is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event.

It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation. Fear is a part of the body's "fight-or-flight" response, which helps us avoid or respond to potential danger. People may experience a range of reactions after trauma, and most people recover from initial symptoms over time. Those who continue to experience problems may be diagnosed with PTSD.

Who gets PTSD?

Anyone can develop PTSD at any age. This includes combat veterans and people who have experienced or witnessed a physical or sexual assault, abuse, an accident, a disaster, or other serious events. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened, even when they are not in danger.

Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. Sometimes, learning that a friend or family member experienced trauma can cause PTSD.

According to the National Center for PTSD , a program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, about six out of every 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men. Certain aspects of the traumatic event and some biological factors (such as genes) may make some people more likely to develop PTSD.

What are the signs and symptoms of PTSD?

What are the risk factors for PTSD?

How is PTSD treated?

How can I find help for PTSD?

How can I help a friend or relative who has PTSD?

How can I find a clinical trial for PTSD?

Where can I learn more about PTSD?

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Learn about post-traumatic stress disorder, including signs and symptoms, risk factors, treatments and therapies, and next steps for PTSD research.

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How does PTSD impact the family of the person who is suffering with this illness?

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How does PTSD impact the family of the person who is suffering with this illness?

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Family members may feel hurt, alienated, or discouraged because your loved one has not been able to overcome the effects of the trauma.

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Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you've earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member-like health care, disability, education, and more.