Case 5 – PTSD Sample - Meghna's case

Megha, is a 27-year-old unmarried female who works as a school teacher and lives with her family. 

About 6 months ago, she was involved in a serious road traffic accident while returning from work, during which she saw a passenger in the other vehicle bleeding heavily and heard loud screaming. 

Although she recovered physically within a few weeks, after the incident she started experiencing repeated disturbing memories of the accident that would suddenly come into her mind, especially at night. 

She often gets nightmares in which she feels the crash is happening again, and sometimes during the day she experiences flashback-like moments when she hears a horn or sudden braking sounds, making her heart race and her body freeze. 

Since then, she has avoided travelling by car and refuses to go near the accident spot, and she becomes anxious even while crossing busy roads. Her family noticed she has become irritable, easily startled by small noises, and remains constantly alert as if something bad might happen. 

She has difficulty sleeping, feels tired most of the day, and finds it hard to concentrate at work, leading to reduced performance. Megha also reports feeling emotionally numb and disconnected from others, saying she doesn’t feel like her “old self” anymore. 

She blames herself for the accident and feels guilty for surviving, often thinking, “I should have done something more.” 

She has stopped meeting friends, avoids talking about the accident, and keeps distracting herself with phone scrolling to prevent memories from coming back, but the fear and distress continue and are affecting her daily functioning.