Posttraumatische stressstoornis

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, develops after individuals directly experience, witness, or hear about traumatic events like natural disasters, refugee displacements, or severe accidents.

PTSD disrupts their ability to manage daily life effectively and often leads to intense panic attacks when recalling the event.

PTSD manifests through vivid flashbacks that force individuals to relive the trauma and avoidance behaviors where they refuse to confront associated emotions, thoughts, places, and objects.

Emotional numbness, sleep disturbances, heightened alertness, impulsive actions, memory issues, and trouble concentrating also characterize the condition.

Factors influencing vulnerability to PTSD include previous traumatic experiences such as abuse, psychological disorders, cultural influences, and genetic predisposition, especially when combined with stressful events.

Further, trauma can alter neurotransmitters, hormones, and biological systems, disrupting stress responses and coping mechanisms.

Similarly, PTSD is associated with a decrease in the hippocampus volume, impairing its role in integrating memories.