After the horror

Posttraumatic stress disorder is formal terminology for a common condition, the psychological problems that follow exposure to events such as the Bradford football stadium fire, the Zeebrugge ferry disaster, the Vietnam war, or some less well publicised and more private horror such as assault or rape. These psychological problems may be severe, prolonged, and disabling, and they include intrusive memories, flashbacks, anxiety, numbing of feelings, and irritability. The account of a survivor of the Bradford soccer stadium fire illustrates phenomena associated with the condition.