posttraumatic stress disorder
2
4.4
- noun
- /ˌpoʊsttrɔːˈmætɪk strɛs dɪsˈɔrdər/
- Specialized
:
trastorno de estrés postraumático
- The relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and HIV risk behaviors remains relatively under-researched.
- posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms
- veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder
- posttraumatic stress disorder treatment
Examples
-
Of critical importance is his writing about Vietnam and his status as a veteran suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.
Academic text (2007) -
The comorbidity of eating disorders, particularly those characterized by binge eating and/or purging, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been fairly well established.
Academic text (2015) -
Terrorists are "at war," at least from their perspective, and they, too, may be at risk of posttraumatic stress disorder.
Academic text (2010) -
Although they do not have veteran status, many have war injuries and severe depression or posttraumatic stress disorder.
Academic text (1997) -
For example, a client might be thinking of addressing a substance use concern but be unaware of having posttraumatic stress disorder.
Academic text (2007) -
For women, the most predictive factor of lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder was physical assault.
Academic text (2007) -
The treatment group showed statistically significant gains in resiliency indicators and decreases in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.
Academic text (2009) -
As will be explained later, one of the best predictors of the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is exposure to combat.
Academic text (2007) -
Further, witnessing violence has been linked to anxiety disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (Olweus, Limber, & Mihalic, 1998).
Academic text (2006) -
Many soldiers return from combat and struggle with posttraumatic stress disorder, which can lead to flashbacks and anxiety.
Synonyms
65
6.1
A mental health problem after a very frightening event that causes reliving the event, feeling numb, and guilt
5
7.5
A severe emotional and physical reaction after a long time in war or heavy fighting
How Severe
- Specialized
2
4.4
- Archaic
92
4.2
20
3.1
10
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
posttraumatic + stress + disorder
The term is fully compositional: 'posttraumatic' (after a traumatic event) + 'stress' (psychological strain) + 'disorder' (a diagnosed condition) yields a condition of stress following trauma. This structure is semantically regular and has cross-linguistic parallels, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can reasonably infer the meaning.
Etymology
Posttraumatic stress disorder literally breaks into post meaning 'after', traumatic meaning 'a very scary event', stress meaning 'strong mental pressure', and disorder meaning 'a lasting problem'. So the name helps remember that it means 'a long-lasting mental problem after a shocking event', where someone may have bad memories, strong fear, or avoid places that remind them of what happened.