Overview
PTSD at a Glance
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops when the threat system remains readily activated after exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops when the threat system remains readily activated after exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. A reminder of the event can then trigger the same alarm response as the original danger, even when the person is objectively safe. This persistent response reflects dysregulation of fear-conditioning circuitry: an over-responsive amygdala, reduced hippocampal volume associated with impaired contextual processing, and altered hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity. The clinical result is a linked pattern of intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in cognition or mood, and heightened arousal.