MOSCOW, March 27. /TASS/. People could develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after some time elapses following the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, Deputy Director of the Center for Emergency Psychological Aid of Russia of the Emergencies Ministry Lidia Timofeeva told TASS in an interview.
"We can talk about its formation or presence after some time passes, because the reaction to stressful situations follows a natural development path. The first of them is an acute reaction, it is our acute emotional experience in the moment. Next, if there is no adaptation, some kind of recovery, there can be a period that can be called an adaptation disorder. This is a little more complex than the primary emotional reactions. And after a few months, if the condition worsens, we can talk about the development of PTSD," she said.
She explained that PTSD is marked by a combination of different symptoms. "A healthy psyche is able to cope with quite heavy loads without very serious consequences, but you should definitely monitor your [mental] states, your reactions," Timofeeva added. According to her, if a person feels that in a few months after some tragic experience he has problems sleeping, eating, he does not want to communicate with those people with whom he used to communicate, he avoids places he used to visit - this all indicates that he should consult a specialist who will help develop a strategy to overcome this condition.