PTSD is a mental disorder that may develop after exposure to exceptionally threatening or horrifying events. Many people show remarkable resilience and capacity to recover following exposure to trauma.PTSD can occur after a single traumatic event or from prolonged exposure to trauma, such as sexual abuse in childhood. Predicting who will go on to develop PTSD is a challenge.Patients with PTSD are at increased risk of experiencing poor physical health, including somatoform, cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal,gastrointestinal, and immunological disorders. It is also associated with substantial psychiatric comorbidity,increased risk of suicide,and considerable economic burden.PTSD is a widely accepted diagnosis but some believe that the term medicalises understandable responses to catastrophic events and further disempowers those who are already disempowered