Final answer:
The 23-year-old woman likely suffers from PTSD as indicated by her symptoms following the event. Her experiences with recurring thoughts, nightmares, and high anxiety are characteristic of the disorder, and she should pursue trauma-focused therapy to aid in her recovery process.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 23-year-old woman's experiences of recurrent thoughts, nightmares, and high levels of anxiety following a traumatic event indicate she may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can occur after an individual has been through a distressing and traumatic event. It is characterized by intrusive thoughts, such as flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of anything associated with the trauma, changes in thought and mood, and heightened reactivity, such as feeling overly anxious or on edge.
It is important for the woman to seek professional help from a cognitive health provider trained in trauma and PTSD. Therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and certain medications can be potential treatment options. Moreover, research has indicated that reprocessing traumatic memories through therapeutic interventions can aid in the healing process, despite the ongoing debate about the accuracy of recovered traumatic memories.