Post-traumatic stress disorder, also called PTSD, is a mental health issue that arises in response to terrifying or traumatic events. PTSD is different for each person who experiences it, and depending on the type of PTSD and severity of symptoms, its impact can be life-long and life-changing. 

In this article, Ability Central answers the following questions about post-traumatic stress disorder:

• What is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
• What are the causes of PTSD?
• What are the types of PTSD?
• What is a PTSD trigger?
• How does PTSD affect communication?
• What mental health issues often accompany PTSD?
• Where can I get more information about PTSD?

What is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition associated with an event that a person either personally experienced or witnessed. In less common situations, PTSD can develop in response to trauma affecting a loved one.

The event could be:

• Traumatic
• Terrifying
• Life-threatening 
• A significant threat to someone’s physical, emotional, or spiritual well-being

Someone with PTSD experiences debilitating symptoms that can affect relationships, work-life balance, and daily life. Generally, PTSD symptoms fall into four categories:

• Intrusive memories, like reliving the traumatic event through flashbacks.  
• Negative changes in mood or thinking, such as hopelessness about the future, feeling detached from loved ones, or memory problems. 
• Emotional or physical reaction changes, like a fear of being touched, difficulty sleeping, or sudden, aggressive outbursts.
• Avoidance behaviors, like refusing to talk or think about the traumatic event or avoiding people, places, and circumstances that remind someone of the trauma.

PTSD is sometimes called:

• Stress disorder
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Posttraumatic stress disorder
• Trauma disorder

To learn more about PTSD symptoms, see Trauma Responses: Symptoms and Types of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

What are the causes of PTSD?

Any traumatic event can cause PTSD. Examples include:

• Abuse, like childhood abuse or domestic violence.
• Major accidents, like a plane crash or car accident.
• Manmade tragedies, like a terrorist attack or a shooting.
• Military combat or other high-risk experiences.
• Natural disasters, like earthquakes or tsunamis.
• Violent personal attacks, like mugging, sexual assault, or kidnapping.

Who is most likely to develop PTSD?

PTSD can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, or nationality. Around 7.7 million people in the United States have or have had PTSD symptoms. 

While there are no specific risk factors for PTSD, statistics suggest:

• Women are two times more likely to develop PTSD than men, in part because women are more likely to experience certain traumas like sexual assault. 
• Veterans are more likely to develop PTSD than civilians. Similarly, veterans deployed to war zones are more likely to develop PTSD than veterans who do not see action. 
• Men are more likely to witness or experience accidents, combat, death, or injury, while women are more likely to experience personal attacks like sexual assault, harassment, mugging, or kidnapping. 

What are the types of PTSD?

PTSD is broken into several categories based on their triggers and how long symptoms last. They are:

• Normal stress response, or the immediate reaction to a single traumatic event. Symptoms usually last up to a few weeks. If untreated, normal stress response may lead to PTSD.
• Acute stress disorder. Acute stress disorder is similar to normal stress response, except the symptoms start a few days to a month after the traumatic event. If untreated, acute stress disorder may develop into PTSD. 
• Dissociative PTSD, which causes emotional detachment and is often linked to trauma in childhood.
• Uncomplicated PTSD, which is linked to one significant traumatic event rather than multiple events. It is the easiest form of PTSD to treat. 
• Complex PTSD, or PTSD caused by multiple traumatic events. 
• Comorbid PTSD, which appears alongside co-occurring disorders. 

To understand the early signs of PTSD, see Trauma Responses: Symptoms and Types of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

What is a PTSD trigger?

Sometimes, events or noises bring back memories of the traumatic event that caused PTSD. The person may feel like they are reliving the event. 

Common PTSD triggers include things that are related to or associated with a traumatic event, including:

• People
• Thoughts and emotions 
• Objects 
• Smells 
• Locations
• Shows or news reports that depict a similar traumatic event
• Feelings that match what happened during the event, like pain, fear, or discomfort
• Sounds
• Tastes 
• Being in the same situation in which the trauma occurred
• The anniversary of the event
• Reading or hearing certain words

How does PTSD affect communication?

PTSD can negatively affect a person’s ability to communicate in many ways, including:

• Disconnection. A person with PTSD may feel disconnected from themselves, their environment, or the person or people they are speaking to.
• Emotional connection. Someone with PTSD may struggle to see other people’s point of view or relate to someone else’s circumstances. 
• Lack of self-confidence. If PTSD damages someone’s confidence in their own abilities, memory, or independence, this can make it difficult to speak their mind or stand up for themselves. 
• Hypersensitivity. Many people with PTSD are intensely tuned into other people’s speech patterns, body language, and emotions, and may have adverse or disproportionate reactions to other people’s responses.
• Anger or rage. Some people with PTSD experience sudden bursts of anger or other strong emotions, which can disrupt communication. 
• Mental health issues associated with PTSD. Co-morbid conditions like depression, anxiety, or mood swings can also cause communication challenges for people with PTSD.

To learn how loved ones can help with these communication challenges, see Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: What Should I Do if I’m Diagnosed with PTSD?

What mental health issues often accompany PTSD?

PTSD is often linked to mental health conditions and mental health disorders, including:

• Anxiety
• Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
• Cognitive or behavioral changes related to traumatic brain injuries
• Depression
• Dissociative disorders
• PTSD-triggered speech disorders, like stuttering, muteness, or echolalia

Where can I get more information about PTSD?

Ability Central offers several resources to guide you through connecting with the support you need:

• A searchable database of nonprofits that work with and support people with PTSD.
• Trauma Responses: Symptoms and Types of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) explains what each type of PTSD looks like and how to get a diagnosis.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: What Should I Do if I’m Diagnosed with PTSD? walks you through what to expect after a PTSD diagnosis and how to support a person recently diagnosed with PTSD.
• Navigating the Long-term Challenges of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Finances and Support Options explains how to prepare for the future, including financial assistance programs, finding a care facility, and protections offered within the United States.