PTSD
Full syndrome after qualifying trauma exposure.
Clinical care assesses trauma type, duration, comorbidity, suicidality and readiness for trauma-focused work — never forced DIY exposure.
Educational neuroscience context only — not medical advice, diagnosis or a substitute for emergency or clinical care. If you are in crisis, seek local emergency services or a licensed clinician.
Conditions
Acute stress disorder
Early post-trauma syndrome; not all progress to PTSD.
Complex PTSD (ICD)
Additional self/emotion/relationship difficulties after prolonged trauma.
Depression comorbidity
Common and raises suicide risk.
Substance use comorbidity
Self-medication can maintain symptoms.
TBI overlap
Blast/accident contexts need neurological assessment too.
Signs
Intrusive memories / nightmares
Unwanted re-experiencing that feels present.
Avoidance of reminders
Places, people, thoughts or conversations dropped.
Hypervigilance / startle
Exaggerated scanning and jumpiness.
Negative mood / cognition shifts
Blame, detachment, foreshortened future.
Suicidal ideation
Emergency pathways — not self-managed.
Care themes
Trauma-focused CBT / PE
Strong evidence with trained clinicians.
EMDR (when indicated)
Evidence-supported option in many guidelines.
Medications when indicated
SSRIs/SNRIs and others per clinician judgement.
Safety & stabilisation first
Address acute risk and supports before deep processing when needed.
Licensed clinicians diagnose and treat; this atlas does not.
Sources & research
- Post-traumatic stress disorderPrimer on PTSD mechanisms and care.DOI
- Biological studies of post-traumatic stress disorderBiological synthesis of PTSD findings.DOI
- Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderClinical review of PTSD.DOI
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