Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is when you feel intense fear, helplessness or horror after a traumatic event.
People with PTSD often experience feelings of panic or extreme fear. The fear may be similar to how they felt during the traumatic event.
There are 4 main types of PTSD experiences.
You may re-live the event through unwanted and recurring memories. These often come as vivid images and nightmares.
You may have intense emotional or physical reactions when reminded of the event. For example, sweating, heart palpitations or panic.
You may have trouble sleeping, feel irritable and find it hard to concentrate. You may become easily startled and constantly on the lookout for signs of danger.
You may deliberately avoid activities, places, people, thoughts or feelings associated with the event that bring back painful memories.
You may lose interest in day-to-day activities or feel emotionally flat and numb. You may also feel cut off and detached from friends and family.
Only a psychologist or psychiatrist can diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder. The checklist below can help you decide whether you need to take the next step and seek support.
Have you experienced or seen something that involved death, injury, torture or abuse and felt very scared or helpless?
If yes, continue to part 2.
Many people experience some of the symptoms of PTSD in the first couple of weeks after a traumatic event, but most recover on their own or with support from family and friends.
Support from family and friends is very important for most people. They can help you by reducing other stresses in your life to allow you to focus on your recovery.
If you feel very distressed in the first 2 weeks after a traumatic event, you should talk to a doctor or other health professional.
If your PTSD symptoms last more than two weeks, a mental health professional may recommend starting treatment for PTSD.
Research shows that the most effective treatments for PTSD are:
Beyond Blue uses statistics from trusted references and research.
For a full list of references for all statistics quoted on our website, please visit Statistics.
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Hear Cliff's experience of PTSD after the Black Saturday bushfires on our podcast Not Alone.
If you’ve been experiencing these for one month or more, you may have PTSD.
We can help you find the support you need at Get mental health support.Nicole’s experience with PTSD
If you feel very distressed at any time after a traumatic event, talking to your doctor or other health professional is a good first step.
It’s important to get support early. If PTSD isn’t treated, it can lead to other mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Not sure where to start? We can help you find the support you need at Get mental health support.
