PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder — Understanding and Recovery
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops in some people following exposure to a traumatic event — war, accident, assault, natural disaster, or any experience involving actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. Approximately 4% of India's population is estimated to live with PTSD, though it remains significantly under-diagnosed.
Core Symptoms of PTSD
Re-experiencing: Flashbacks, nightmares, intense emotional and physical reactions to reminders of the trauma.
Avoidance: Avoiding thoughts, feelings, places, people or activities associated with the trauma.
Negative changes in thinking and mood: Persistent negative beliefs about self or the world, estrangement from others, inability to feel positive emotions.
Hyperarousal: Being easily startled, constantly on guard (hypervigilance), sleep problems, anger outbursts, difficulty concentrating.
Who Gets PTSD?
Anyone can develop PTSD after trauma, but risk is higher with: more severe or prolonged trauma, personal injury, lack of social support, prior mental health conditions, and childhood adversity. Women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD. In India, natural disasters, road accidents (India has the world's highest road accident fatality rate), and domestic violence are significant PTSD causes.
PTSD vs Normal Stress Responses
It is normal to feel distressed after trauma. PTSD is diagnosed when symptoms persist beyond one month and significantly impair functioning. Many people experience acute stress reactions that resolve naturally — PTSD is not an inevitable outcome of trauma.
Treatment Options
- Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) — Processes traumatic memories through gradual exposure and cognitive restructuring
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) — Evidence-based therapy that processes traumatic memories using bilateral stimulation
- Prolonged Exposure (PE) — Systematic exposure to trauma memories and reminders to reduce avoidance
- Medication — SSRIs (sertraline, paroxetine) are FDA-approved for PTSD
💙 PTSD is highly treatable. With evidence-based therapy, the majority of people with PTSD experience significant or complete recovery of symptoms.