post-traumatic stress disorder

noun

Definition of post-traumatic stress disorder

: a psychological reaction occurring after experiencing a highly stressing event (such as wartime combat, physical violence, or a natural disaster) that is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, and avoidance of reminders of the event —abbreviation PTSD

— called also post-traumatic stress syndrome

Examples of post-traumatic stress disorder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Hughes' testimony contradicts that of a psychologist hired by Depp's lawyers, who said Heard was faking her symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and suffered from borderline and histrionic personality disorders. — CBS News, 4 May 2022 Teachers who are trained to address the mental health needs of the refugees, who may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, are another. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2022 Research has found that everyone from military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder to college students in exam conditions can benefit from controlled, slow breathing. — Serena Coady, SELF, 6 Apr. 2022 She is depicted as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. — Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2022 Holaday’s son Kyle, a 26-year-old war veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, was unemployed and lived at home. — Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2022 Kaspernick, 56, had worked as a teacher and in warehouses and restaurants, but said his bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder made holding the jobs difficult. — Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2022 The film features an assistant bank manager who struggles to overcome his post-traumatic stress disorder after his bank is violently robbed and care for his young, diabetic daughter. — Brook Endale, The Enquirer, 30 Mar. 2022 Marine Corps veteran Justin Wigg was suffering from anger issues and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, but traditional medicine had been little help. — John Keilman, chicagotribune.com, 28 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'post-traumatic stress disorder.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

14 May 2022

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“Post-traumatic stress disorder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/post-traumatic%20stress%20disorder. Accessed 19 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for post-traumatic stress disorder

post-traumatic stress disorder

noun

Medical Definition of post-traumatic stress disorder

: a psychological reaction that occurs after experiencing a highly stressing event (as wartime combat, physical violence, or a natural disaster) outside the range of normal human experience and that is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, and avoidance of reminders of the event —abbreviation PTSD

— called also delayed-stress disorder, delayed-stress syndrome, post-traumatic stress syndrome

— compare combat fatigue