of distress and functional impairment. Diagnostic criteria for PTSD include a history of exposure to a traumatic event leading to intense fear and symptoms from each of 3 symptom clusters: intrusive recollections (cluster B), avoidance/numbing (cluster C), and hyperarousal (cluster D). 1 Recent data estimate lifetime PTSD prevalence to be 10.9%, 2 with up to 40% having a chronic form that is prolonged, may be unremitting, and is subject to reactivation upon exposure to stressors. 3 Treatment of PTSD is often complicated by the presence of comorbid anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders as well as somatic diseases. 4,5 Recent scientific advances have elucidated the neurobiology of PTSD, which includes a complex, multifaceted interplay of changes or differences in neuroendocrine systems, brain structure and function, and physiologic reactivity. 5 Pharmacotherapeutic treatment of PTSD has been substantiated by few placebo-controlled trials, with open
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