What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

PTSD is a real illness. People may get PTSD after living through a disturbing or frightening experience. It can be treated with medicine and therapy.
You can get PTSD after you have been:

• Raped or sexually abused
• Hit or harmed by someone in your family
• A victim of a violent crime
• In an airplane or car crash
• In a hurricane, tornado, or fire
• In a war
• In an event where you thought you might be killed
• After you have seen any of the above events.

If you have PTSD, you often have nightmares or scary thoughts about the experience you went through. You try to stay away from anything that reminds you of your experience.
You may feel angry and unable to trust or care about other people. You may always be on the lookout for danger. You can feel very upset when something happens suddenly or without warning.

When does PTSD start and how long does it last?

For most people, PTSD starts within about three months of the event. For some people, signs of PTSD don't show up until years later. PTSD can happen to anyone at any age. Even children can have it.
Some people get better within six months, while others may have the illness for much longer.

Am I the only person with this illness?

No. You are not alone

The National Comorbidity Survey Report provided the following information about PTSD in the general adult population: The estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD among adult Americans is 7.8%, with women (10.4%) twice as likely as men (5%) to have PTSD at some point in their lives.