Psychology
Anger: when it becomes a problem and how to manage it
Anger is a normal emotion. It becomes a problem when it is frequent, intense or harmful — and venting it tends to make it worse, not better.
27 Sept 20269 min read
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Also known as PTSD, Posttraumatic stress disorder, Post traumatic stress disorder
A condition that can follow a frightening or life-threatening event, in which the memory keeps intruding, reminders are avoided and the person stays constantly on guard.
In Psychology
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after a event such as an accident, assault, violence or disaster. Feeling shaken for the first few weeks is normal and often settles by itself; PTSD is when the reaction does not fade, and it can start months or even years later.
Core features
- Reliving the event through , intrusive images or nightmares
- people, places or conversations that bring it back
- Feeling constantly on alert, jumpy and unable to relax ()
- Numbness, guilt, irritability and poor sleep
First-line treatment is a trauma-focused therapy — trauma-focused or ; an antidepressant is sometimes added. The full article is PTSD.
Where this comes up
Psychology
Antidepressants: what they do, side effects and stopping safely
What antidepressants treat, how long they take, common side effects, whether they are addictive, and why you should never stop them suddenly.
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Psychology
Childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
Abuse, neglect and a chaotic home raise the odds of illness in adulthood — but an ACE score is not a sentence, and safe relationships change the outcome.
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Psychology
Resilience: what it really means and how to build it
Resilience is not a rare personality trait. It is a common process of adapting to hardship, built from relationships, skills and resources — not willpower alone.
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Related terms
- Complex PTSDC-PTSD, CPTSDA form of PTSD that follows long-lasting or repeated trauma that was hard to escape, such as childhood abuse or ongoing domestic violence. It adds lasting problems with emotions, self-worth and relationships.
- TraumaPsychological trauma, Emotional traumaAn event or series of events frightening or harmful enough to overwhelm a person's ability to cope, and the lasting effects it can leave. Most people exposed to trauma recover.
- FlashbackFlashbacks, RelivingA vivid reliving of a traumatic event, as if it is happening again now — through images, sounds, smells, body sensations or overwhelming emotion. A key sign of PTSD.
- HypervigilanceHyperarousal, Always on edgeBeing constantly on guard and scanning for danger even when safe — jumpy, easily startled and unable to relax. It is a common part of PTSD and anxiety.
- EMDREye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, Eye movement desensitization and reprocessingEye movement desensitisation and reprocessing: a structured trauma therapy in which you recall distressing memories while doing side-to-side eye movements, so the memories become less intense.