Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe and ongoing emotional reaction to an extreme psychological trauma; it affects significant numbers of people, in particular military personnel and veterans, who have seen active duty in war zones.
It also affects people who have suffered major injuries or illnesses.
As many as 25% or more of patients that suffer from PTSD will have attempted suicide.
It is thought to be basically an anxiety disorder and is different from normal grief and adjustment after traumatic events; symptoms which appear within the first month of the trauma are called acute stress disorder but if no improvement of symptoms are seen after a month, PTSD is diagnosed.
PTSD is divided into three categories: Acute PTSD which subsides within three months; if symptoms persist, the diagnosis is changed to chronic PTSD.
The third category, delayed-onset PTSD, may occur months, years or even decades after the traumatic event.
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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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