Do you know the meaning of PTSD? This guide will give you all of the knowledge you need on the acronym PTSD as well as how it is used!
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Kevin
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February 4, 2022
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Common Questions
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You might have heard someone refer to PTSD jokingly in real life or on television, but this psychiatric disorder is no laughing matter. Learn more about PTSD’s meaning below.
What Does PTSD Stand For?Â
According to the American Psychiatric Association, the term PTSD stands for posttraumatic stress disorder. This refers to a type of mental illness or psychiatric disorder that occurs in those who have witnessed or experienced trauma. These traumatic events can range from war and combat to sexual assault, threats of violence, threatened death, natural disasters, and other accidents.
Often, this disorder is diagnosed after a person experiences something traumatic firsthand. However, it can also come from secondhand exposure.Â
For example, someone who has worked in a violent crimes unit for many years may experience PTSD from the sheer volume of traumatic cases they have seen. They could also experience one particularly violent or disturbing case that sticks with them and causes PTSD.
While this disorder is not common, it is not as rare as one might think. PTSD is largely associated with veterans because many World War I and II veterans were diagnosed with PTSD, shell shock, and combat fatigue. However, PTSD can affect anyone of any race, age, religion, and gender.Â
Roughly one in eleven people have been diagnosed with PTSD. Interestingly, men are half as likely to be diagnosed with PTSD as women.
What Are the Symptoms of PTSD?
Someone with PTSD will experience four different symptom categories. These include intrusion, avoidance, alterations in cognition, and alterations in reactivity. These different symptoms can vary in severity. Someone might suffer from more intrusion and fewer alterations in reactivity, or vice versa.Â
A PTSD diagnosis is not one-size-fits-all, so make sure to talk to a licensed professional if you think you may be experiencing PTSD. Therapy or other psychotherapy treatment can help treat the symptoms of mental health problems like PTSD.Â
Some people might be prescribed medications from a psychiatrist to help with PTSD, while others might thrive with something like CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) or EMDR with a psychologist.
Intrusion
Intrusion refers to the experience of reliving flashbacks of the traumatic events that led to one’s PTSD, experiencing nightmares or bad dreams, or involuntary memories that repeat in one’s mind. These are often quite vivid and give people with PTSD the feeling of reliving the traumatic event.
Avoidance
The symptom of avoidance refers to both physical and mental avoidance. Someone experiencing this symptom might avoid the area where the traumatic memory occurred or avoid thinking about the event itself. It might be difficult for them to open up about what happened.
Alterations in Cognition
PTSD can affect a person’s brain function and their mood. This might lead to distorted beliefs about oneself or others, feelings of horror, distress, anxiety, depression, and more.
Alterations in Reactivity
Similar to alterations in cognition, PTSD can affect reactivity and arousal. This can cause angry outbursts or even serious injury.
What Are the Causes of PTSD?
Anyone can experience trauma in their lifetime, from adolescents to the elderly. PTSD and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (complex PTSD) can occur after one traumatic event or repeated traumatic events.Â
Some people begin to experience PTSD within the months following a traumatic event, while it might take another person many years before PTSD begins to affect them. Sometimes, you can eliminate PTSD with treatment in as little as six months, while it can be a chronic condition for others.
How Can PTSD Be Treated?
There are numerous medications that a doctor might prescribe to a person with PTSD. These include antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or blood pressure stabilizers. These medications treat the symptoms of PTSD but not the root cause. It’s important to speak with a licensed professional, like a therapist, psychiatrist, or a combination of the two.
Someone with PTSD might use selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These medications include paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and sertraline (Zoloft). They could also use mood stabilizers like lamotrigine (Lamictal) and divalproex (Depakote), tricyclic antidepressants like isocarboxazid (Doxepin) and amitriptyline (Elavil), or atypical antipsychotics like quetiapine (Seroquel) and aripiprazole (Abilify).Â
To treat other symptoms of PTSD, someone might prescribe clonidine (Catapres) or Prazosin for nightmares and sleep or something like propranolol (Inderal) to prevent traumatic memory formation. Today, doctors tend to steer clear of tranquilizers like clonazepam (Klonopin) or lorazepam (Ativan) for PTSD.
What Are Other Meanings of PTSD?
When you see the term PTSD, it usually will stand for post-traumatic stress disorder. However, it has a couple of different other meanings, too.
You can assume that PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder in most cases. However, if that doesn’t seem to fit the context of the sentence, don’t be afraid to ask the person you are speaking with to clarify. Below are a few alternate meanings of PTSD from The Free Dictionary:
- Pembina Trails School Division (Canada)
- Plumsted Township School District (New Egypt, NJ)
- Pathways Through the Secret Door (Timothy Kendrick book)
- Port Townsend School District (Port Townsend, WA)
- Peters Township School District (Pennsylvania)
- Planning and Technical Support Division (California Environmental Protection Agency)
Conclusion
Overall, the abbreviation PTSD stands for posttraumatic stress disorder. This is a mental health disorder with numerous diagnostic criteria, all of which are related to a traumatic event. Numerous physical symptoms, reactivity symptoms, mood symptoms, and avoidance symptoms can lead to a PTSD diagnosis.
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