What triggers post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is primarily triggered by exposure to a traumatic event in which a person experiences or witnesses an event that involves actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. In this context, feelings of intense fear during a traumatic event are a critical component in the development of PTSD. Such acute reactions to trauma indicate a heightened psychological and physiological response, making it more likely that the individual will develop PTSD afterward.

When someone feels intense fear, it often leads to a complex reaction involving not just emotional distress but also physical stress responses. This can include hyperarousal and intrusive memories, which are hallmark symptoms of PTSD. The experience of intense fear is linked to the way traumatic memories are encoded and stored in the brain, particularly in areas like the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions and threats.

The other options do not align as closely with the mechanisms that lead to PTSD. While prolonged worry, sudden episodes of fear, or a gradual emotional decline can certainly affect mental health, they do not specifically trigger PTSD in the way that experiencing intense fear during a traumatic event does.