Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is caused by the emotional impact or trauma generated by a lived experience, such as a monstrous threat, often very close to death itself. Symptoms appear sooner or later, and are characterized by:

• Mental review of the experience either in nightmares while sleeping or in flashbacks (very vivid memories) in the waking state.
• These memories are very anxious, very annoying and interfere with the person's daily routine, so the person learns to avoid certain places or situations that cause them, such as noise, odors, particular places related to the initial trauma, etc.
• Humor and irritability
• Insomnia.
• A state of continued hyper-alertness with very rapid and unexpected physical and emotional reactions.

For rapid and sustained improvement, it is important to consult with an expert who can assess and recommend treatment as soon as possible. Treatment should usually combine pharmacological help with psychological support.