posttraumatic stress disorder
noun Psychiatry.
a mental disorder, as battle fatigue, occurring after a traumatic event outside the range of usual human experience, and characterized by symptoms such as reliving the event, reduced involvement with others, and manifestations of autonomic arousal such as hyperalertness and exaggerated startle response. Abbreviation: PTSD
Origin of posttraumatic stress disorder
First recorded in 1975–80
Words nearby posttraumatic stress disorder
posttransfusion,
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posttraumatic epilepsy,
posttraumatic neck syndrome,
posttraumatic stress disorder,
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British Dictionary definitions for post-traumatic stress disorder
post-traumatic stress disorder
noun
a psychological condition, characterized by anxiety, withdrawal, and a proneness to physical illness, that may follow a traumatic experience
Abbreviation: PTSD
Medical definitions for post-traumatic stress disorder
posttraumatic stress disorder
n.
An anxiety disorder affecting individuals who have experienced or witnessed profoundly traumatic events, such as torture, rape, military combat, or a natural disaster, characterized by recurrent flashbacks of the traumatic event, nightmares, anxiety, fatigue, forgetfulness, and social withdrawal.
posttraumatic stress syndrome
Scientific definitions for post-traumatic stress disorder
posttraumatic stress disorder
[ pōst′trô-măt′ĭk, -trou- ]
A psychological disorder affecting individuals who have experienced or witnessed profoundly traumatic events, such as torture, murder, rape, or wartime combat, characterized by recurrent flashbacks of the traumatic event, nightmares, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, forgetfulness, and social withdrawal.
Cultural definitions for post-traumatic stress disorder
posttraumatic stress disorder
A psychological disorder in which a person continues to respond with distress to a traumatic event long after that event has occurred. The affected person may reexperience the event in their thoughts or dreams and exhibit a heightened state of arousal characteristic of extreme stress. Combat and rape are two of the most common causes of this disorder.
notes for posttraumatic stress disorder
PTSD was formalized as a disorder after the
Vietnam War, when returning soldiers would often continue to show the signs of stress long after they had left the military.