Discuss the nature and consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is defined as the long-term psychological distress suffered by someone who has experienced a terrifying, uncontrollable event. Originally developed to describe the long-term psychological distress suffered by war veterans, most of whom are men, it later became clear that women rape survivors show these same symptoms characteristic of PTSD. Typical symptoms can include anxiety, depression, nightmares, and a lack of feeling safe. According to the cognitive-behavioral view of PTSD, people who have experienced a terrifying event form a memory schema that involves information about the situation and their responses to it. Because the schema is large, many cues can trigger it and thereby evoke the feelings of terror that occurred at the time; the schema is probably activated at some level all the time. The consequences are thus far reaching and long lasting.