Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is characterized by symptoms that include intense fear, helplessness, and/or horror that a person experiences following exposure to a traumatic event. The traumatic event can include an actual or threatened death or a threat to one’s or another person’s physical integrity. Symptoms of PTSD can also emerge when an individual learns about an unexpected or violent death, serious harm, or threatened death that was experienced by a family member or close acquaintance. Individuals who display symptoms of PTSD often re-experience the traumatic event, may experience guilt for surviving, avoid stimuli associated with the event, and are increasingly sensitive to outside stimuli. Many individuals who experience a traumatic event often find themselves re-living it or experiencing fear, as symptoms persist for more than one month and cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

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