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URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/17272.htm
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Overview
PTSD is a severe reaction to a traumatic event that involves re-experiencing the event through dreams, recollections or flashbacks. Social support plays a role in protecting people from developing PTSD.
Review Date 5/15/2026
Updated by: Fred K. Berger, MD, DLFAPA, board-certified in psychiatry, Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.