Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event that causes lasting fear, flashbacks, and difficulty moving past the experience.
Connect with verified specialists experienced in managing conditions related to Mental & Behavioral Disorders.
Find PsychiatristsClinical Overview
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that affects your brain, specifically the areas responsible for processing fear, memories, and emotions. When you go through a traumatic event, your brain's alarm system can get 'stuck' in the 'on' position, keeping your body in a state of high alert long after the danger has passed.
This happens because the amygdala, the part of your brain that detects threats, becomes overactive, while the hippocampus, which helps you process memories, struggles to store the event as just a memory from the past. Instead, the brain feels as though the danger is happening right now, leading to persistent distress.
Common Symptoms
- Flashbacks, where you feel as if the traumatic event is happening all over again.
- Nightmares or vivid, scary dreams about the event.
- Intrusive thoughts, which are unwanted, upsetting memories that pop into your head throughout the day.
- Avoiding people, places, or objects that remind you of the event.
- Feeling 'on edge,' jumpy, or easily startled by loud noises.
- Constant negative thoughts about yourself or the world, such as feeling like everything is dangerous.