Diagnosis of, and living with a life-threatening illness can result in symptoms similar to those seen in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and these symptoms may persist even if the individual recovers, or their illness goes into remission. These symptoms may include emotional avoidance and numbing, difficulty relating to or connecting with friends or loved ones, difficulty sleeping, a sense of foreshortened future, and intrusive thoughts or memories related to the illness. These symptoms are an additional burden for the individual experiencing them and for their caretakers, and reduces quality of life.