Within the field of medicine, post-traumatic stress syndrome is called a psychiatric disorder that occurs in people who have experienced a dramatic episode in their life, such as war conflicts, kidnappings, sexual violence, death in violent situations of a loved one, etc. Those individuals who present it generally tend to suffer from recurring nightmares that remind them of the tragic experience that they lived previously. This is characterized by the fact that specific symptoms appear after exposure to a stressful, extremely traumatic event, in which there was some type of physical damage or, failing that, it is threatening or catastrophic in nature for the person who suffers it.
At present, experts in this area have not been able to find the exact cause that gives rise to this syndrome in some people and not in others. In the cases where it occurs, genes, emotions and the family situation undoubtedly play a role of great importance. It should be noted that it is impossible for past emotional trauma to increase the risk of suffering from this disorder after a relatively new traumatic event for the subject.
Normally, the hormones and stress chemicals that the body produces during a distressing moment return to normal levels in a short period of time. However, in people with PTSD, the body keeps producing both hormones and chemicals.
Some of the causes that generate the appearance of this pathology can be:
- Situations of theft, physical rape or, failing that, being a victim of gender violence.
- Having gone through situations of terrorism or war conflicts.
- Having been incarcerated or been in a major car accident.
- Live natural disasters, such as hurricanes, storms, tsunamis, etc.
There are cases in which the appearance of symptoms can occur years after the event that produced it. Some of the most important symptoms are: The trauma is constantly remembered through nightmares or instantaneous and involuntary memories that occur during the day. Frequent hallucinations with the idea that the triggering event is repeated, among others.
