# Anxiety Disorders > Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) >  >  "What is post-traumatic stress disorder?" by Mark Creamer

## Member11

_"What is post-traumatic stress disorder?" by Mark Creamer is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0_





> People have probably always known about the psychological effects of experiencing life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, or violent assault. Literature through the ages ? some of it thousands of years old ? provides many vivid portrayals of these internal struggles to recover from horrific experiences.
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> It was not until 1980, however, that these reactions were formally recognised by the international psychiatric community. The name chosen was post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and the diagnostic criteria were agreed.
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> Before discussing the nature and treatment of PTSD, it?s important to emphasise that human beings are generally resilient. Most people exposed to potentially traumatic events recover well with help from family and friends, and don?t develop mental health problems.
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> For those who don?t recover so well, PTSD is only one possibility, with depression, substance abuse, anxiety, and physical health problems also common. But PTSD is the only condition specifically tied to a traumatic experience.
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> *Symptoms*
> ...

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