Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health disorder induced by exposure to a traumatic event. Which of the following is a typical symptom?

• A. Nightmares
• B. Hallucinations
• C. Euphoria
• D. Amnesia

Answer: (A)

Nightmares are a classic intrusion symptom of PTSD, where distressing dreams about the traumatic event replay aspects of what happened and can cause significant sleep disturbance and daytime anxiety. This re-experiencing during sleep is a hallmark feature of PTSD’s intrusion cluster and helps explain why nightmares are so commonly reported after trauma. The other options don’t fit as typical PTSD symptoms: hallucinations are perceptual experiences without real stimuli and are more characteristic of psychotic disorders; euphoria is an elevated mood not associated with PTSD; amnesia can occur with dissociation but isn’t the common symptom pattern, whereas nightmares are widely recognized as a frequent and typical PTSD symptom.