PTSD

One of my good friends suffers from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). There are many different symptoms to PTSD, and not everyone will show them all.

There are three different main categories for symptoms:
Reliving the tramautic event (flashbacks), avoidance (numb feeling, not expression of mood or emotions, sense of having no future, and/or avoiding places or events that can lead back to the cause of the trauma), and arousal (difficulty concentrating, difficulties with sleep, and/or anger).
There are also other symptoms that include Agitation, or excitability, Dizziness, Fainting, Feeling your heart beat in your chest (palpitations), Fever , Headache, and/or Paleness
The cause of PTSD is unknown, but psychological, genetic, physical, and social factors are involved. PTSD changes the body’s response to stress. It affects the stress hormones and chemicals that carry information between the nerves (neurotransmitters). Having been exposed to trauma in the past may increase the risk of PTSD.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may occur soon after a major trauma, or it can be delayed for more than 6 months after the event. When it occurs soon after the trauma, it usually gets better after 3 months. However, some people have a longer-term form of PTSD, which can last for many years.

There are no tests that can be done to diagnose PTSD. The diagnosis is made based on a certain set of symptoms that continue after you've had extreme trauma. Your doctor will do psychiatric and physical exams to rule out other illnesses.