Post traumatic stress disorder.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs after a person has been exposed to a traumatic event involving actual or threatened death, and has responded with intense fear or helplessness. The event is then persistently re-experienced. The person avoids stimuli associated with the trauma and experiences a numbing of general responsiveness. Symptoms of increased arousal can occur as well as depression and anxiety. PTSD causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. The general practitioner is uniquely placed to identify PTSD and can have a key role in treatment. Cognitive behavioural treatment is a central therapeutic approach and can be carried out in general practice. The issues are to counteract the physiological components, expose the patient to the feared situation and help the patient to relearn that the stimuli are not necessarily associated with danger or threat. Repeated brief consultations over time can facilitate this process.