Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

You may get PTSD by going through a harmful, scary or stressful event.[1] It might be something that happened to you or to someone close to you.[4] Some examples of events that may cause  PTSD include:[3,4,6,8]

• Serious accidents, such as car crashes

• War or a terrorist attack

• Natural disasters, such as wildfires and or earthquakes

• Domestic or child abuse

• Violent personal attacks, including rape, robbery, kidnapping or torture

• Bullying, including racism and homophobia

• Losing someone close to you

Factors that are known to increase the chance of a person developing a disorder are called ‘risk factors’. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will definitely get the disorder, but the more risk factors you have can make it more likely.

People of all ages can get PTSD, but females are more likely to get PTSD than males.[8–10] Other risk factors for PTSD are.[1,4,8]

• Facing trauma again and again, or over a long period of time

• Not having enough support from your family, friends or other people in your life

• Having a job that can expose you to traumatic events, such as a firefighter or soldier

• Having difficult childhood experiences

• Having a personal history of anxiety or depression

• Having a parent with a mental health condition

You should visit your doctor if your symptoms last more than 4 weeks after a traumatic event.[1,3] If your doctor thinks you might have PTSD, they will talk to you about your symptoms to get as much information as possible.[3] They will ask if you have gone through a traumatic event recently or at any time in the past.[3] They will also ask if you are experiencing nightmares or flashbacks about the event.[3]

If your doctor finds that you may have PTSD and could benefit from treatment, they will refer you to a mental health professional.[3]

You can get PTSD at any point in your life after a traumatic event.[9] Symptoms of PTSD usually show up within 3 months following the traumatic event.[9] How long PTSD symptoms last and how serious they can become can be very different from one person to another.[9] Going through stressful times may also cause symptoms of PTSD to come back after they have eased off.[9] Some people with PTSD can have symptoms that won't go away for months or years, without a break.[9] Roughly half of people with PTSD are symptom-free within three months.[9]

People should always be asked to speak to their doctor about treatment options for them. Treatment of PTSD depends on the severity of the disorder.[8] Other things that are considered  when deciding on treatment are your age, overall health, what treatments have been tried before and your personal choice.[4]

The main treatments for PTSD are talk therapy (known as ‘psychotherapy’), medicine or a combination of both.[8] 

Talk therapy (psychotherapy)

Talk therapy involves talking with a mental health professional in a safe environment.[1,4]This may be a one-on-one session or a group session with others who have faced similar events.[1] There are many different kinds of talk therapy that can help people with PTSD.[1,2] You and your mental health doctor can choose which type is best for you. PTSD is often treated with the following types of talk therapy:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This type of therapy can help you by changing your negative emotions and thoughts related to the traumatic event.[8] Sometimes, a person with PTSD may create ideas and beliefs in their minds after a traumatic event, such as ‘the world is a dangerous place’ or ‘I am a bad person’.[8] Their memories of the event may be different from how it actually happened[1] Your therapist will help you understand and confront your harsh feelings and thoughts around the traumatic event.[3,4,8] CBT can help you cope with the fear and bad memories by changing how you feel and think about what happened.[8,11]

• Prolonged exposure therapy. This type of therapy can help you deal with fear related to the traumatic event.[11] Your therapist will bring you into contact with situations that may remind you of what happened.[11] This may happen through imagination, writing, or even going to the actual place where it all happened.[1] These tools can help you to lessen your reactions over time and cope with your feelings.[1,4]

Medicines

The most commonly prescribed medicines for PTSD are antidepressants.[11] These medicines can help with feelings of worry, anger, sadness or emotional numbness.[1] Other medicines are also given to people with PTSD for more specific symptoms, such as trouble sleeping and bad dreams.[1]