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posttraumatic stress disorder

posttraumatic stress disorder definition - medical

posttraumatic stress disorder

noun
Abbr. PTSD An anxiety disorder affecting individuals who have experienced or witnessed profoundly traumatic events, such as torture, rape, military combat, or a natural disaster, characterized by recurrent flashbacks of the traumatic event, nightmares, anxiety, fatigue, forgetfulness, and social withdrawal. Also called posttraumatic stress syndrome.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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