Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

 The most widely discussed mental illness caused by trauma is post traumatic stress disorder. PTSD was most often known as a soldier’s condition, however we’ve come to understand it as more than just a disorder seen amongst those who have experienced war. The stigma around PTSD still exists. 

PTSD is caused by an extremely stressful or traumatic event, which could be anything from losing a loved one to being in a car accident. Our society is often bombarded with news of violent crimes, mass shootings and other traumatic events that leaves witnesses, victims, and families with symptoms of ptsd. (The Mayo Clinic)

The symptoms of ptsd can include flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, and in some cases even violent outbursts. The severity of these symptoms depends on the patient, not the severity of the event. A person experiencing a horrific car accident may have milder symptoms than someone who was robbed at gunpoint.

These symptoms cause the patient to suffer the pain from that traumatic event over and over, reliving the same fear, and pain and stress as the original event each time a flashback occurs, each time they discuss the event in therapy, or to the police. The brain reacts as though it is experiencing the event again; essentially re-traumatizing the patient, victim, or witness. (Walker)

Post traumatic stress disorder is often found in victims of abuse, be it physical or emotional abuse. Many patients with PTSD suffer from insomnia and racing thoughts, unable to stop reliving the event or sequence of events in their minds. 

PTSD can also change a person’s physical and emotional responses as well as thought process. That trauma has reshaped the part of the brain that senses and processes fear, the amygdala. This part of the brain becomes overactive, causing the patient to experience fear in situations that aren’t considered dangerous or frightening. (The Mayo Clinic)  

In recent years there has been significant discussion on the differences between PTSD and CPTSD, the United States doesn’t diagnose CPTSD. CPTSD is diagnosed outside of the US in patients who have experienced a sequence of traumatic events, such as an abusive household. However this is categorized under PTSD in the United States because of the use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5th edition Text Revision (DSM5TR). The DSM5TR is published by the American Psychiatric Association, and does not list CPTSD. (Walker)

In our next blog post we'll be discussing the Amygdala and the way an overactive Amygdala hijacks the nervous system. 

Works Cited

The Mayo Clinic. “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - Symptoms and causes.” Mayo Clinic, 16 August 2024, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967. Accessed 23 April 2026.

Walker, Jeff. Mental Health Professional. Interview.