posttraumatic stress disorder
posttraumatic stress disorder
1975–80
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
posttraumatic stress disorder n.
An anxiety disorder affecting individuals who have experienced profound emotional trauma, such as torture, rape, military combat, or a natural disaster, characterized by recurrent flashbacks of the traumatic event, nightmares, eating disorders, anxiety, fatigue, forgetfulness, and social withdrawal. Also called posttraumatic stress syndrome.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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posttraumatic stress disorder  (pōst'trô-māt'ĭk, -trou-) Pronunciation Key
A psychological disorder affecting individuals who have experienced or witnessed profoundly traumatic events, such as torture, murder, rape, or wartime combat, characterized by recurrent flashbacks of the traumatic event, nightmares, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, forgetfulness, and social withdrawal. |
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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A psychological disorder in which a person continues to respond with distress to a traumatic event long after that event has occurred. The affected person may reexperience the event in their thoughts or dreams and exhibit a heightened state of arousal characteristic of extreme stress. Combat and rape are two of the most common causes of this disorder.
Note: PTSD was formalized as a disorder after the Vietnam War, when returning soldiers would often continue to show the signs of stress long after they had left the military.
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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