PTSD symbol conceptual design: www.tulsacounselingtherapist.com
What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events. The type of events that can cause PTSD include: serious road accidents. violent personal assaults, such as sexual assault, mugging or robbery.
What are the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
PTSD symptoms may not appear until years after the event. Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms are generally grouped into three types: intrusive memories, avoidance and numbing, and increased anxiety or emotional arousal (hyperarousal).
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Affected brain areas include:
Amygdala: amygdala appears to be active in fear acquisition, or learning to fear an event (such as touching a hot stove), as well as in the early stages of fear extinction, or learning not to fear.
Prefrontal Cortex: Storing extinction memories and dampening the original fear response appears to involve the prefrontal cortex (PFC) area of the brain, involved in tasks such as decision-making, problem-solving, and judgment.
Hippocampus: hippocampus is associated mainly with memory, in particular long-term memory.
Cucurrently, many scientists are focusing on genes that play a role in creating fear memories. Understanding how fear memories are created may help to refine or find new interventions for reducing the symptoms of PTSD