You just got a letter that says your symptoms may be consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, after a crash, flood rescue, assault, or other terrifying event. PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop when the brain stays stuck in survival mode after trauma. Common signs include intrusive memories, nightmares, panic, avoiding reminders of what happened, feeling constantly on guard, irritability, sleep problems, and trouble concentrating. It is more than ordinary stress and can affect work, driving, relationships, and basic daily routines.

In practice, PTSD often shows up alongside physical injuries. Someone hurt in a freeway collision or pulled from a monsoon flood may heal from broken bones yet still have severe fear, flashbacks, or difficulty returning to traffic, crowds, or sleep. Diagnosis usually comes from a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other qualified clinician using medical history, symptoms, and screening tools. Treatment may include therapy, medication, and rehabilitation support.

For an injury claim, PTSD can be part of damages even when the main event was physical. Medical records, counseling notes, work limitations, and testimony about daily changes can help show the condition's impact. In Arizona, workers' compensation claims involving mental injury have special rules under A.R.S. § 23-1043.01 (1980), which can limit coverage unless the mental condition is tied to unexpected, unusual, or extraordinary job-related stress or to a physical injury.