What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Rural Minds Mental Health Condition Fact Sheets
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition that can develop after someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic event, such as combat, physical assaults, sexual violence, natural disasters, serious accidents, or other life-threatening events.
Although it’s normal to experience feelings of fear, stress, and nervousness after a traumatic event, these feelings are extreme in people with PTSD and interfere with their ability to function in everyday life.
What Are the Symptoms of PTsD?
People with PTSD have intense, distressing thoughts and feelings related to a traumatic experience. Although symptoms typically develop within three months of the trauma, they can sometimes take longer – even years – to appear.
The symptoms of PTSD can include:
Having persistent and frightening thoughts, memories, and flashbacks of the traumatic event.
Experiencing recurring nightmares about the event.
Having sleep problems.
Being jumpy and easily startled.
Avoiding certain situations and withdrawing from people.
Feeling detached or numb.
PTSD can also increase the risk for developing other mental health conditions including depression and anxiety disorders, alcohol or substance use disorder, and suicidal thoughts.
If you have thoughts about harming yourself, seek help immediately. You can call or text 988. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential support 24/7.
How Common Is PTSD?
Approximately 13 million adults – about 5% of the U.S. adult population – experience PTSD in any given year.
Women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD, with about 8% of women and 4% of men experiencing PTSD at some point in their lives.
Children and teens who experience trauma can also develop PTSD: Between 3% to 15% of girls and 1% to 6% of boys who have experienced trauma develop PTSD.
Although PTSD can occur in people of any age and ethnicity, U.S. Latinos, African Americans, and Native Americans/Alaska Natives have higher rates of PTSD than non-Latino whites.
Veterans who were exposed to combat in a war zone are especially at risk for PTSD; for example, between 11% and 20% of veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan have experienced PTSD.
How Is PTSD Diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will typically diagnose PTSD by performing:
A physical exam to check for possible medical conditions that may be causing your symptoms.
A mental health evaluation to learn more about your mental health history, your exposure to a traumatic event, as well as your symptoms and the impact they are having on your everyday life.
To be diagnosed with PTSD, you must have experienced symptoms for more than one month that are severe enough to interfere with your ability to perform daily activities.
The National Center for PTSD offers a brief self-screening online test for PTSD, which you can use to help determine whether to seek more information or help: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/screen/.
How Is PTSD Treated?
There are two primary categories of treatments for PTSD – psychotherapy (“talk therapy”) and medications that are typically prescribed to treat depression and anxiety. Your healthcare provider may use one or a combination of these treatments.
Examples of effective psychotherapy for PTSD include:
Cognitive Processing Therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that can help you challenge and change unhelpful beliefs related to the traumatic event.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy teaches you to gradually approach the trauma-related memories and feelings.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a trauma-focused therapy that helps you to change thoughts, images, and feelings about a traumatic memory while focusing on external stimuli, such as guided eye or hand movements.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction includes meditation and yoga stretches.
After experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, many people will have PTSD-like symptoms, including not being able to stop thinking about what happened. Seeking support right away – from family and friends, a healthcare provider, or a mental health professional – may help prevent the reactions that can often occur after a traumatic event from getting worse and leading to PTSD.
For more information about PTSD:
Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA)
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS)
National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (NCPTSD)
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Traumatic Stress Institute (TSI)
If you or someone you know is suicidal or in emotional distress, dial 988 for 24/7 support.
If this is a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
References:
National Institute of Mental Health: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD.
American Psychiatric Association. What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?
PTSD Alliance: When to Get a PTSD Diagnosis.
World Health Organization. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. National Center for PTSD. How Common is PTSD in Adults?
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. National Center for PTSD. How Common is PTSD in Children and Teens?
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Office of Research & Development. Overview of VA Research on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
PTSD Alliance. Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Corliss J. PTSD: How Is Treatment Changing? Harvard Health Publishing; Harvard Medical School. May 15, 2024.