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Article: Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Article from:
- Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders
- Author:
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Post-traumatic stress disorder
Definition
Post-traumatic stress disorder, often abbreviated as PTSD, is a complex disorder in which the affected person's memory, emotional responses, intellectual processes, and nervous system have all been disrupted by one or more traumatic experiences. It is sometimes summarized as "a normal reaction to abnormal events." The
DSM-IV-TR
(the professional's diagnostic manual) classifies PSTD as an anxiety disorder.
Description
PTSD has a unique position as the only psychiatric
diagnosis
(along with
acute stress disorder
) that depends on a factor outside the individual, namely, a traumatic stressor. A patient cannot be given a diagnosis of ...