The simple idea
After a trauma, it's normal to feel shocked, fearful, sad, sleepless, and to have upsetting memories. Most people slowly recover. PTSD is when these reactions persist and keep disrupting life — the event is over, but the brain keeps sounding the alarm.
The four things to look for
- Re‑experiencing — intrusive memories, nightmares, flashbacks (feeling back there).
- Avoidance — steering clear of reminders (after a car crash: won't drive, avoids the road).
- Hyperarousal — always "on edge": jumpy, irritable, poor sleep, watchful.
- Negative mood and thoughts — guilt, shame, numbness, withdrawing from people.
| PTSD cluster | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Re‑experiencing | intrusive memories, nightmares, flashbacks |
| Avoidance | steering clear of reminders |
| Hyperarousal | jumpy, irritable, poor sleep, watchful |
| Negative mood / thoughts | guilt, shame, numbness, withdrawal |
The key idea
Remembering a bad event is not the same as having PTSD. The question is whether there's a persistent, distressing, life‑disrupting reaction that continues well after the event (generally more than a month).
Quick check ✅
- Name the four symptom groups of PTSD.
- Does remembering a traumatic event mean someone has PTSD?
Remember this 🌟
Where we're going next → From episodes of illness to lifelong patterns — personality (Concept 24).