Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Its natural to be afraid when youre in danger. Its natural to be upset when something bad happens to you or someone you know. But if you feel afraid and upset weeks or months later, its time to talk with your doctor. You might have post-traumatic stress disorder.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

What is post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD?

P !" is a real illness. You can get P !" after living through or seeing a dangerous event, such as war, a hurricane, or bad accident. P !" makes you feel stressed and afraid after the danger is over. It affects your life and the people around you. If you have P !", you can get treatment and feel better.

Who gets PTSD?

P !" can happen to anyone at any age. #hildren get P !" too. You dont have to be physically hurt to get P !". You can get it after you see other people, such as a friend or family member, get hurt.

What causes PTSD?

$iving through or seeing something thats upsetting and dangerous can cause P !". his can include% Being a victim of or seeing violence he death or serious illness of a loved one &ar or combat #ar accidents and plane crashes 'urricanes, tornadoes, and fires (iolent crimes, like a robbery or shooting. here are many other things that can cause P !". alk to your doctor if you are troubled by something that happened to you or someone you care about.

How do I know if I have PTSD?

Your doctor can help you find out. #all your doctor if you have any of these problems% Bad dreams )lashbacks, or feeling like the scary event is happening again !cary thoughts you cant control !taying away from places and things that remind you of what happened )eeling worried, guilty, or sad )eeling alone rouble sleeping )eeling on edge *ngry outbursts houghts of hurting yourself or others. #hildren who have P !" may show other types of problems. hese can include% Behaving like they did when they were younger Being unable to talk #omplaining of stomach problems or headaches a lot +efusing to go places or play with friends.

When does PTSD start?

P !" starts at different times for different people. !igns of P !" may start soon after a frightening event and then continue. ,ther people develop new or more severe signs months or even years later.

How can I get better?

P !" can be treated. * doctor or mental health professional who has e-perience in treating people with P !" can help you. reatment may include .talk/ therapy, medication, or both. reatment might take 0 to 12 weeks. )or some people, it takes longer. reatment is not the same for everyone. &hat works for you might not work for someone else. "rinking alcohol or using other drugs will not help P !" go away and may even make it worse.

How PTSD

an Happen!

"anet#s Stor$
3anet was in a car crash last year. he crash was frightening, and a man in another car died. 3anet thought she was lucky. !he lived through it and she wasnt badly hurt. 3anet felt fine for a while, but things changed. !he started to have nightmares every night. *nd when she was awake, she could see the crash happening over and over in her mind. !he felt tense every time she rode in a car, and tried to avoid it as much as she could. 3anet started yelling at her husband over little things. *nd sometimes she 4ust felt numb inside. 3anets husband asked her to see her doctor, who told her she might have P !". 3anets doctor put her in touch with a doctor trained to help people with P !". !oon 3anet was be ing treated. It helped her to feel less tense and scared, and it helped her to sleep. It also helped her to share her feelings with the doctor. It wasnt easy, but after a couple of months 3anet began to feel better.

%acts &bout PTSD

P !" can affect anyone at any age. 5illions of *mericans get P !" every year. 5any war veterans have had P !". &omen tend to get P !" more often than men. P !" can be treated. You can feel better.
Don#t Hurt 'ourse(f

You are not alone. 6et help if you are thinking about hurting yourself. #all your doctor. #all 711 if you need help right away. alk to a trained counselor at the 8ational !uicide Prevention $ifeline at 19:;;92<=9 *$> ?:2@@AB Y% 19:;;9<779C Y ?C::7A.

ontact us to find out more about PTSD) 8ational Institute of 5ental 'ealth !cience &riting, Press D "issemination Branch 0;;1 E-ecutive Boulevard +oom :1:C, 5!# 700= Bethesda, 5" 2;:729700= Phone% =;19CC=9C@1= or 19:00901@98I5' ?0C0CA toll-free Y% =;19CC=9:C=1 or 19:009C1@9:;@1 toll-free E-mail% nimhinfoFnih.gov &eb site% www.nimh.nih.gov

he photos in this publication are of models and are used for illustrative purposes only.

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