PTSD Awareness Day 27 June 2023
PTSD: The Most Common Mental Health Disorder After Depression
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a life-threatening event, like war, sexual assault, or a natural disaster. Symptoms of PTSD can include flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of reminders of the event, and intense emotional distress.
PTSD is the most common mental health disorder after depression, affecting about 5.5% of Australians at some point in their lives. That means that over 1.5 million Australians have PTSD.
Trauma can have a devastating effect on people's lives. It can affect our physical and emotional health, our relationships, and our ability to function in everyday life.
The good news is that recovery from PTSD is possible. With professional help, people with PTSD can learn to manage their symptoms and live full and productive lives.
If you or someone you know is struggling with PTSD, there is help available. Please reach out to a mental health professional, such as Axis Clinical Psychology, or call Lifeline in a crisis at 13 11 14.
Here are some of the signs and symptoms of PTSD:
Reliving the traumatic event through flashbacks or nightmares
Avoiding reminders of the event
Feeling numb or detached from the world
Having trouble sleeping or concentrating
Feeling angry or irritable
Having trouble controlling worry or fear
Having changes in mood, such as feeling depressed or anxious
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to seek professional help. A clinical psychologist such as Brent can diagnose PTSD and help you develop a treatment plan.
Brent has 17 years of experience working with young people who have been abused; children and adults who have experienced sexual, emotional, psychological and physical abuse and neglect; Federal and State police officers and other first responders; current and ex-serving military personnel; victims of crime (including families of murder victims); survivors of LGBTIQA+ conversion therapy; HIV+ patients, their partners and families; and, the impacts of cancer including newly diagnosed individuals and their families, as well as those going through traumatic treatments and those who are grieving the death of a loved one.
There are a number of effective treatments for PTSD:
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT): Trauma-Focused CBT helps people to change the way they think about and react to the traumatic event.
Exposure therapy: Exposure therapy helps people to gradually confront the things that trigger their PTSD symptoms.
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR): EMDR is a psychotherapy treatment that uses eye movements, taps, or tones (bilateral stimulation) to help people process traumatic memories and reduce their associated distress.
Medication: Medication can be used to help manage some of the symptoms of PTSD, such as anxiety and depression.
Recovery from PTSD is possible. With professional help, people with PTSD can completely resolve their traumas, or at least learn to manage their symptoms and live full and productive lives.
If you or someone you know is struggling with PTSD, please reach out for help. There is no shame in seeking help; it could make a real difference in your life.
