Anxiety and Trauma
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Also known as · PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that follows a shocking event, characterized by unwanted memories, nightmares, avoidance, hyperarousal, and mood changes.
Meaning and Distinctions
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Post-traumatic stress is a state where re-experiencing the event, avoiding related scenes, and remaining constantly on alert hyperarousal, it is a condition where changes in thoughts and mood persist for more than one month and disrupt daily functioning. We do not force the disclosure of event details; instead, we first verify current safety, sleep, and situations that trigger the recall of symptoms. While maintaining trauma-focused therapy and a safety plan, we aim to reduce the burden of nightmares, startle responses, sleep loss, and physical tension. Immediate professional treatment takes priority in cases of risk of self-harm or harm to others, safety issues due to dissociation, psychosis, severe alcohol use, or drug use. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition characterized by unwanted memories, nightmares, avoidance, hyperarousal, and mood changes following a shocking event.
- Easily confused terms
- A diagnosis is not made based solely on the discomfort of recalling the event; the combination of symptoms, duration, and the impact on daily life are evaluated together.
- Why this is checked during medical evaluation
- Current safety and trauma-focused professional treatment are continued. Korean herbal medicine treatment addresses sleep recovery and the physical burdens that make it difficult to maintain professional treatment, such as nightmares, hyperarousal, pulsating sensations, digestion, and low energy.
- What to write down for your visit
- Without forcing detailed memories, we first verify nightmares, startle responses, avoidance, and the current safety of the environment. We check the current stage of diagnosis, testing, and psychotherapy, as well as a complete medication list including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements. We also identify which of the following change during the same period: sleep, heart rate, sweating, gastrointestinal tension, or decreased energy. Please write this information down with the dates and show it during your medical evaluation.
Sleep and Mind Glossary
Compare similar terms here
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Check guides where this term is used
- Condition GuidePost-Traumatic StressPost-traumatic stress is a state where re-experiencing the event through memories, avoiding related scenes, constant hyperarousal, and changes in thoughts or mood persist for more than a month and disrupt functioning. We do not force the disclosure of event details; instead, we first verify current safety, sleep, and situations that trigger memories. While maintaining trauma-focused therapy and a safety plan, we reduce the burden of nightmares, startle responses, sleep loss, and physical tension. Risk of self-harm or harm to others, safety issues due to dissociation, psychosis, severe alcohol use, or drug use require immediate professional treatment priority.→
- Medical GuideWhat should I prepare before my sleep and mental health consultation?For about one week, record the time you went to bed, the time you fell asleep, the number of times you woke up, and your wake-up time. For anxiety or panic, record the triggering situation, the most severe physical reactions, and activities you have started to avoid. Please prepare your prescriptions, medication envelopes, and diagnosis or test results, but you do not need to explain every emotion perfectly. Just let us know one part of your daily routine you most wish to recover.→
- Sleep & Mind ColumnWhen nightmares, startle responses, and avoidance recur, why does the body continue to feel danger?→
Evidence and Update Information
The following materials were referenced to verify the basis and scope of the definitions and treatment explanations.
- NIMH: Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderSymptom clusters and treatment scope for re-experiencing, avoidance, arousal, and cognitive-mood changes