Experts in trauma-related mental health research and treatment want to drive greater understanding of the condition ahead of National Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day on Tuesday, 27 June 2023.
Australia’s National Centre of Excellence in Posttraumatic Mental Health and an internationally recognised leader in the field, Phoenix Australia, says PTSD is the most common mental health condition in Australia after depression, but it’s often left undiagnosed and untreated.
While not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD, research suggests about 5-10 per cent of Australians will suffer from PTSD at some point in their lives.
This means that at any one time, over 1 million Australians have PTSD. Many people that have PTSD don’t realise they have it, and only half of those affected will seek treatment.
Trauma
Traumatic events are common, and most people will experience at least one during their lives. Trauma comes in many forms and affects thousands of Australians every day.
Most people recover with the help of family and friends, and there are effective treatments for those needing extra support.
Ask an Australian to explain PTSD, and they’ll probably describe war veterans or disaster survivors. While those kinds of dramatic events can certainly result in psychological injuries such as PTSD, there are many quieter and more common occurrences that can lead to the disorder.
Phoenix Australia’s Director, Professor David Forbes, said PTSD can result from the sudden death of a loved one, witnessing or being a part of a traumatic event, or even hearing about a traumatic event happening to a loved one.
‘Australians have experienced the environmental disaster impacts of bushfires, floods, drought, and storms, as well as the impacts of trauma resulting from workplace incidents, family violence, road accidents and emergency services work’, said Professor Forbes.
‘Now more than ever, it’s important to understand how much adversity, stress and trauma can affect our mental and physical health.’
What to look out for
Symptoms of PTSD include reliving the event through unwanted memories, flashbacks or nightmares, avoiding places, people or activities that bring back the event, having negative emotions such as fear, anger, guilt or numbness, being constantly alert for danger, being easily startled and taking risks.
Phoenix Australia’s website has advice for people suffering from trauma and resources for the health professionals treating them, and also offers online and in-person training for individuals and organisations.
For more information and resources visit phoenixaustralia.org. More information about PTSD Awareness Day is available here.
Tips on recovering from trauma
- Recognise that you have been through something awful, and give yourself permission to feel how you feel, but also remember your strengths and have confidence you will get through it.
- Rest, even if you can’t sleep, and eat nutritious meals and exercise. Physical and mental health are linked.
- Plan your days, and schedule at least one pleasurable or meaningful activity for each day.
- Avoid making major life decisions in the weeks after the traumatic event, but make as many small decisions as you can to restore your feeling of control.
- If you are still having difficulties more than two weeks after the event, contact your GP for further help.
