PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress in Spanish

What it means

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that some people develop after they experience or see a traumatic event. The event may be life-threatening, such as combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault, but the sudden, unexpected death of a loved one can also cause PTSD. In time, most people recover naturally; people with PTSD feel stressed and frightened long after the trauma is over. MedlinePlus describes four types of symptoms: re-experiencing symptoms, such as flashbacks and nightmares; avoidance symptoms; arousal and reactivity symptoms; and cognition and mood symptoms. The National Institute of Mental Health says people may be diagnosed with PTSD if their symptoms last for an extended period after a traumatic event and begin to interfere with daily life.

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) in Spanish

Spanish term: Trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT)
Gender and article: masculine: el trastorno de estrés postraumático (abbreviation also masculine: el TEPT)
Pronunciation: trahs-TOR-noh deh ehs-TREHS pohs-trow-MAH-tee-koh

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
TEPT	General	Abbreviation; MedlinePlus en español lists it under "Otros nombres".
trastorno por estrés postraumático	General	Form used by the National Institute of Mental Health in Spanish; the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary gives it as another name.
trastorno por tensión postraumática	General	Given as another name in the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary.
PTSD	General	English abbreviation; the NIMH Spanish page says the disorder is often referred to this way.

Trastorno de estrés postraumático is the name used by MedlinePlus en español and by the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary, with the abbreviation TEPT. The head noun trastorno makes it masculine: el trastorno de estrés postraumático, el TEPT. The National Institute of Mental Health writes the name with a different preposition, trastorno por estrés postraumático, and notes that the disorder is often referred to as PTSD, its English abbreviation.

For the symptom groups, MedlinePlus en español uses reviviscencia (re-experiencing), evasión or evitación (avoidance) and hipervigilancia y reactividad (arousal and reactivity). It keeps the English word flashbacks and uses pesadillas for nightmares; talk therapy is terapia de conversación or psicoterapia. For a crisis, the NIMH Spanish page gives the wording llame o envíe un mensaje de texto al 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and en situaciones potencialmente mortales, llame al 911: a life-threatening situation needs emergency help right away.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	Have you gone through or witnessed a traumatic event?	¿Ha vivido o presenciado algún evento traumático?
Patient	I was in a car accident last year, and I still have nightmares about it.	Tuve un accidente automovilístico el año pasado, y todavía tengo pesadillas con eso.
Patient	Sometimes I feel like I am going through it again.	A veces siento como si lo estuviera viviendo de nuevo.
Clinician	Do you avoid places or things that remind you of what happened?	¿Evita lugares o cosas que le recuerdan lo que pasó?
Patient	I stopped driving, and loud noises startle me easily.	Dejé de conducir, y los ruidos fuertes me sobresaltan fácilmente.
Clinician	How long have you had these symptoms? Do they interfere with your work or home life?	¿Desde hace cuánto tiene estos síntomas? ¿Interfieren con su trabajo o su vida en casa?
Clinician	I would like you to see a mental health professional for an evaluation.	Quisiera que consultara a un profesional de salud mental para una evaluación.
Patient	Can an interpreter be with me during talk therapy?	¿Puede acompañarme un intérprete durante la terapia de conversación?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Spanish (Español)	Trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT)
Chinese (中文)	創傷後壓力症候群
Korean (한국어)	외상 후 스트레스 장애
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Rối loạn stress sau chấn thương
Filipino (Tagalog)	Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Portuguese (Português)	Transtorno de estresse pós-traumático (TEPT)
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	โรคเครียดหลังเหตุการณ์สะเทือนขวัญ
Japanese (日本語)	心的外傷後ストレス障害

Where you'll see it

chartintake formtreatment planEOB

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: F43 → Reaction to severe stress, and adjustment disorders

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Mental health

All terms in this area: Mental health — Salud mental

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.