Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a debilitating psychological condition, which affects more than 7 million Americans. PTSD symptoms usually arise soon after a traumatic event although they may not happen until months, or even years, later. While trauma ranging from an accident to combat can cause PTSD, the symptoms tend to follow predictable patterns. Generally, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder will manifest as: re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms, and hyperarousal symptoms. Re-experiencing symptoms include various ways in which a PTSD sufferer relives the traumatic event. Recurrent, frightening dreams of the experience and regular, waking flashbacks of the event are both examples of re-experiencing symptoms. Flashbacks are often caused by a trigger, like the sound of a car backfiring for a war veteran or a news story about sexual abuse for a rape-survivor. Avoidance symptoms, on the other hand, are almost the opposite. PTSD sufferers with avoidance symptoms often evade people, places, events, or objects that remind them of their particular trauma. They may turn to alcohol or drugs to avoid dwelling on their negative experience. People experiencing avoidance symptoms often report feeling numb, or emotionless. This means they are often unable to engage in meaningful relationships, or to find enjoyment in previously pleasant activities. Finally, people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder may experience hyperarousal, or constant feelings of anxiety. Hyperarousal often involves near constant watchfulness and wariness. As a result, PTSD sufferers can have a hard time achieving restful sleep, and they often find it difficult to concentrate. Unsurprisingly, hyperarousal frequently leads to angry outbursts and irritability. Meanwhile, younger children with PTSD may experience bedwetting, loss of speech, and acute separation anxiety. If even SOME of these symptoms are present, it's important to visit a doctor for a thorough psychological examination. Your doctor may also conduct a medical exam to ensure that symptoms are indeed psychologically based. A diagnosis of PTSD isn't made unless a person is experiencing at least one re-experiencing symptom, two hyperarousal symptoms, and three avoidance symptoms. Various symptoms must be present for at least a month, and they must cause significant distress in a sufferer's daily life. Finally, symptoms must always follow from a traumatic event, often involving severe injury, death, or the potential of either. Unfortunately, many people are unwilling or unable to discuss a traumatic experience. As a result, PTSD is very frequently undiagnosed and untreated. Knowing this, it's even more important to be up-front with your doctor about potential Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Doing so will ensure that you get the medical and psychological treatments necessary to help you deal with PTSD.