The purpose of this book is to explain how post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) became so ubiquitous. This book examines the intricate relationships between trauma, memory, and media, including the various cultural, psychological, and social dimensions of PTSD. It analyses PTSD in film and media emphasising the cyclical nature of traumatic experiences and their pervasive influences on society. Through cinematic and media examples, philosophical insights, and discussions on societal shifts and anxieties, this work provides an examination of PTSD across different cultural contexts, shedding light on its profound impact on human experience and societal structures. The book also addresses the role of social media internationally, the pornography industry, and conspiracy theories, in perpetuating trauma and shaping societal attitudes, advocating for interdisciplinary approaches to foster healthier perspectives and support those affected by trauma and exploitation. In this opening chapter definitions of PTSD are elaborated on, and the significant literature introduced with the historical trajectory of the development of PTSD as a diagnosis explained. There is a difference between how PTSD is clinically and scientifically understood and how it is popularly perceived. This is addressed with its meanings and influences, and how the meanings have altered with time and under the influence of the internet. As well as introducing PTSD contextually, this opening chapter explicates the thorny issues of identity and triggering and how these relate to concepts of authenticity politically. This helps to deepen our understanding into how PTSD has come to be framed and so ubiquitous, unearthing the significance of its relationship to popular cultural forms including film and media. This chapter also tackles the related subjects of mourning, plus psychological experiments with film concerning PTSD, and surveillance, discussing a range of films, including Peeping Tom (Michael Powell, 1960).