Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the physical response to long-term exposure or untreated reactions to a traumatic event. PTSD symptoms vary depending on the type of trauma a person has survived in his or her lifetime and on the severity of the event. PTSD can be a long-term or permanent risk if not treated early with psychotherapy, both for the victim (operating support, if required and possible) and his or her family. When necessary, psychotherapy can be supported by specific pharmacotherapy. One of the primary issues underlying PTSD is the feeling that the person has lost control of his or her personal life. In some cases, he or she seeks relief through alcohol, drug, medication and/or psychotropic drug abuse, but actually the situation is much more serious. The person frequently experiences associated feelings of guilt for what has happened or the way he or she has behaved (or for not having been able to avoid the traumatic event). Also known as a guilt complex or survivor complex, these feelings of guilt are often exaggerated and inconsistent with the facts, and with the sufferer's objective responsibility. Frequently such feelings are also forms of serious depression and/or generalised anxiety; in some cases they produce considerable tension within the family, creating difficulties for the relatives of the person suffering from PTSD.