Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition that is triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist attack, rape, child abuse or any other violent personal assault.
Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, angry outbursts, problems in concentrating or sleeping, severe anxiety and constant disturbing thoughts about the event. As a result, the person avoids people and social activities, as such situations bring on distressing memories. He/ she may also have distorted self-beliefs, experiencing self-blame and a continuous feeling of guilt.
Though the person might feel they will never get their normal life back, this disorder can be treated with a range of psychotherapies. The therapies concentrate on the source of the fear, equips the person with skills to deal with it and restores one’s self-esteem.
