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What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others' lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening.
Anyone who has gone through a life-threatening event can develop PTSD. These events can include:
- Combat or military exposure
- Child sexual or physical abuse
- Terrorist attacks
- Sexual or physical assault
- Serious accidents, such as a car wreck.
- Natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake.
After the event, you may feel scared, confused, and angry. If these feelings don't go away or they get worse, you may have PTSD. These symptoms may disrupt your life, making it hard to continue with your daily activities.
For a more information, please see our fact sheet What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
What treatments are available for PTSD?
There are many types of treatment for PTSD. You and your doctor will discuss the best treatment for you. You may have to try a number of treatments before you find one that works for you.
A type of counseling called cognitive-behavioral therapy and medicines known as SSRIs appear to be the most effective treatments for PTSD. Treatment can help you feel more in control of your emotions and result in fewer symptoms, but you may still have some bad memories.
How do I locate specialists or support groups for PTSD?
If you are in an immediate crisis, please go to your nearest Emergency Room or call 911.
Although the Center does not provide any direct clinical care, we provide links and information to help you locate mental health services in your area. See our fact sheets on:
- Finding a Therapist
I am an American Veteran. Who do I contact for help with PTSD?
You can contact your local VA Hospital or Veterans Center located in your telephone book, or call the VA Health Benefits Service Center toll free at 1-877-222-VETS. In addition to its medical centers, VA also has many CBOCs (Community Based Outpatient Clinics) around each state so you can look for one in your community. You can also use any of the information on treatment for the general public.
For online help, the VA also offers the MyHealtheVet and Seamless Transition websites. Please also see Specialized PTSD Treatment Programs in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
As an American Veteran, how do I file a claim for disability due to PTSD?
A formal request ("claim") must be filed by the veteran using forms provided by the VA's Veterans Benefits Administration. After the forms are completely submitted, the veteran must complete interviews concerning her or his "social history" (a review of family, work, and educational experiences before, during, and after military service) and "psychiatric status" (a review of past and current psychological symptoms, and of traumatic experiences during military service). The forms and information about the application process can be obtained from Benefits Officers at any VA Medical Center, Outpatient Clinic, or Regional Office.
The process of applying for a VA disability for PTSD can take several months, and can be both complicated and quite stressful. The Veteran's Service Organizations (VSOs) provide "Service Officers" at no cost to help veterans and family members pursue VA disability claims. Service Officers are familiar with every step in the application and interview process, and can provide both technical guidance and moral support. In addition, some Service Officers particularly specialize in assisting veterans with PTSD disability claims.
Even if a veteran has not been a member of a specific Veterans Service Organization, the veteran still can request the assistance of a Service Officer working for that organization. In order to get representation by a qualified and helpful Service Officer, you can directly contact the local office of any Veterans Service Organization — or ask for recommendations from other veterans who have applied for VA disability, or from a PTSD specialist at a VA PTSD clinic or a Vet Center.
Do you have brochures/handouts/videos available?
Any material on our website is free for you to use, reproduce, and distribute as needed (in the Public Domain). The National Center for PTSD's website contains information created by experts: fact sheets, handouts, award winning educational videos, web based course material (PTSD 101), manuals, guides, and MORE! These materials cover a range of audiences (veterans, families, clinicians, health care providers, researchers) and a range of topics (war, natural disaster, terrorism, assault and abuse).
Does the National Center for PTSD publish any journals? How do I subscribe?
Yes, the National Center publishes some regular publications, and our staff regularly publishes in major journals. All are available to download from our website. Use our advanced search to locate articles and chapters written by staff at the National Center for PTSD.
The PTSD Research Quarterly contains review articles on specific topics related to PTSD, written by guest experts. Each article contains a selective bibliography with abstracts and a supplementary list of annotated citations.
The Clinician's Trauma Update (CTU-Online) provides summaries of clinically relevant publications. Links to the full article (PDF) or to the abstract are available.
The NCPTSD Clinical Quarterly archives are available (1990-2003). The CQ was published by our Education Division and addressed the needs of practicing PTSD clinicians and program administrators.
How do I locate books on PTSD?
You can contact your local library for books or articles on trauma, PTSD, and related subjects. The National Center for PTSD's PILOTS database is another way to locate information. It is an electronic index to the worldwide literature on traumatic stress. You can search for citation information and electronic links to full text articles. The National Center for PTSD's Resource Center houses this information at our Executive Division in VT. Also see our recommended reading lists.
I am a professional who would like to know what training is available from the National Center for PTSD.
From the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, US Department of Veterans Affairs. www.mentalhealth.va.gov.
Comments [17]
Im a Canadian soldier diagnosed with p.t.s.d . my life has never been the same after I got back from the gulf war and then a tour in yugo in 92 . Iv lost touch with my family and freinds . rejected and called a coward by my loving wife , my children don\'t understand why I stay a way at times . my emotional state of mine veries from day to day . I tried getting help , all I got from DVA was the run around . a lot of questions for there files and no support. phycologist that tells me its ok to smoke pot to calm myself down and a 1800 dollar pension thats suppose to help compensate us for a life in caos . we are left in the dark for so long about our condition , it makes it hard to find our way back home . oh what home my wife kicked me out of my retirerment home . told the court I had psycological problems and a drug addiction stopped my children from having contact with me and called me slow brain and stupid .it makes it hard to exept a pension thats suppose to help in what way , each day I feel as bad if not worst them the accual trauma . I live in a camp . no electricity no running water and no hope . this has to be the worst time of my life . fear , anxiety and the lack of support from the people I love already caused so many problems in my life , truth be known the hero to 0 atitude we face each day kills that pride in us I understand what your going trough P.T.S.D CAN LEAVE YOU FEELING NUMB .and affraid to make choises towards recovery. lets talk a bit about the way we live and die as soldiers. the constant treat unstable lifestyle and the mental and physical abuse we endure as soldiers this alone enough to creat ptsd in all of us . dnd does not take responsabilty for our mental healht they hide the facts so they can pond us of to there retired military doctors . how can we be proud of serving when we are just # in a numbers game . Im angry at the system that treat us like nobody\'s
As a therapist working extensively with combat soldiers, it is important to get the soldier to recognize the problems and then get them to a Vet Center (a part of the VA medical system0 and allow them to help the vet.
I am the mother of a teenager, both of us diagnosed with PTSD, status post, a home invasion robbery. I would like the person, or does anyone know the person that left the following comment: Nov 21st, 2009 8:21pm Hi, I am diagnosed with PTSD, and have been in counseling for 3 years now every Thursday. I have terrible nightmares every night, and when I am in or around anyone that acts like my father, I start to panic, and can't calm down, like other people are able to do. I have feelings of dispar so often that I can't get into direction, or any where in my life. I feel that I am always just surviving all of the things that scare me so much. I feel like such a looser, I am alone,because I can't be in a relationship due to all of my symptoms, men just don't understand, and neither do I. I have taken drugs to make myself be and feel normal. That is the only thing that makes me feel like living, and I know that I can't safely do this, I am so stuck, I HAVE TO SURVIVE THIS!!! I just have to be able to get through college and make something of myself, but all of the symptoms of the PTSD just become overwhelming!!! I truly do wish that if I have to continue with all of these symptoms, that I could just go to sleep forever. I am 53 years old and I have had so many awful things happen to me. Has anyone else had this happen to them, and how did you survive??? Please help me!!! Okay, this is jenniecouvelis@gmail.com. Send me any info to contact this woman. She is desperate for help, and I can really relate to her feelings of hopelessness and fear. I can also be contacted on Twitter @Medusarants or Facebook: IanoullaKouveli. My son and I have been living with PTSD for 5 years. I am back in college, (retired atty,psych tech/med asst), going for a degree in Psychology. My major is PTSD. I am 49. My son is 14. Anyone else who wishes to contact me, please feel free to do so. We have to come together. Alone, this illness will defeat each of us: Together, we can over come it.
I am a veteran of WWII - B-17 bomber pilot. Brother killed at Salerno. BUT humiliated and trautomized as I was with killing thousands of civilians in cities I bombed, after the war - after going through a period of total rejection of my former and trivial social life - I was an actor - I was pulled out of my lethargy, anger and frustration. I decided to DO SOMETHING ABOUT WAR ITSELF. IT WAS A THERAPY! In short, the "therapy" for vets is to figure out how to ELIMINATE WAR which put them into a PTSD condition in the first place. WE FEEL GUILTY AND HUMILIATED! We must expiate that guilt, humiliation and anger. The society we left is the same old, same old. How many vets have had two, three tours? Madness. I figured it out. War is a losers game. But reciprocally, peace is the opposite and I don't mean what the national leaders call "peace." Hell, world wars started in 1914. Since 1945, wars became obsolete. Now the gun is aimed at humanity itself. Are we all crazy? No wonder vets go crazy, commit suicide, murder their wives and kids. The solution is self-evident. BE A WORLD PEACEMAKER! HOW? GET RID OF THE MYTH OF "NATIONAL SECURITY." ONLY WORLD SECURITY IN OUR CENTURY IS RATIONAL, MORAL AND POSSIBLE. CLAIM WORLD CITIZENSHIP! That's the "cure" for PTSD. I did it so I am an example. Call me. 802-864-6818.
i have PSTD because of my backround. i was abused by my parents, i was sexually abused by men. if i get too scared, depressed, anything with my emotions, it happens. its hard to survive. but ik i have to.
My heart goes out to my fellow veterans who are currently suffering or have suffered from PTSD. There is a very strong stigma, especially for males to seek treatment because they think others might find them weak. PTSD is very serious and it is very real, if you have any of these symptoms, please see a VA rep in your area to start tackling your problems before they manifest into something that becomes too unbarable to deal with. Thank you to all of you who have served your country honorably. Semper Fi and God speed.
Hi, I am diagnosed with PTSD, and have been in counseling for 3 years now every Thursday. I have terrible nightmares every night, and when I am in or around anyone that acts like my father, I start to panic, and can't calm down, like other people are able to do. I have feelings of dispar so often that I can't get into direction, or any where in my life. I feel that I am always just surviving all of the things that scare me so much. I feel like such a looser, I am alone,because I can't be in a relationship due to all of my symptoms, men just don't understand, and neither do I. I have taken drugs to make myself be and feel normal. That is the only thing that makes me feel like living, and I know that I can't safely do this, I am so stuck, I HAVE TO SURVIVE THIS!!! I just have to be able to get through college and make something of myself, but all of the symptoms of the PTSD just become overwhelming!!! I truly do wish that if I have to continue with all of these symptoms, that I could just go to sleep forever. I am 53 years old and I have had so many awful things happen to me. Has anyone else had this happen to them, and how did you survive??? Please help me!!!
im doing a project on ptsd and this is a great websitee.
My father is a 59-year-old vietnam veteran, and he has PTSD. He was diagnosed last year. He suffers so much with night terrors and depression. I see first hand what he goes through on a daily basis(his changes in moods, behavior, personality; the doctors,meds,& counselors). He goes through so much, and I have so much more respect for him and love him for fighting for his country in a time they needed him. I have the upmost respect for every veteran and thank you all for everything you've done to make this country what it is today.
good document on ptsd. Semper fi
I am dating a guy who is an Iraq-war Vet...he has PTSD and it can make a peson really fearfull of a lot of things and very gaurded with their emotions, I have found. Not to mention the night terrors, and horrible dreams he has constantly.
I have spent my whole life, in and out of institutions after suicide attempts, debilitating depression, anxiety, nightmares, etc; everything that points to PTSD. It is only now that I have been properly diagnosed.Finally all the pieces fit and it all makes sense. All of those doctors in all of those states I lived in and no one knew why I am suffering. I am 61 yrs old and it is only now that I am learning how to live with this. My whole life is practically gone.
I have been dealing with this crap for 40 yr I am a viet nam vet.If you think you have ptsd this information is something to take heed of there is no cure just learning to deal with it and meds.Also as you get help take the ones you love and let them in on what is going on seek a counsler with them if you can. Semper Fi
I ALSO WAKE UP AFTER A VERY BAD NITE OF HORRIBLE DREAMS AND I TAKE OUT MY ANGER AND DEPRESSION ON THE PPL THAT I LOVE AND THAT LOVE ME.....I RECENTLY TOOK THE FIRST STEP IN GETTING HELP BUT IM STILL SOOO DEPRESSED!!!!
I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING SOMETIMES SO ANGRY FOR NO REASON I MEAN REALLY BITCY MAD I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY AND THEY DIAGNOSE ME WITH PTSD AND ADHD EVEN IF MY MOOD SWINGS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING DOES THIS MAKE ANY SENCE AT ALL
good document on PTSD.
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Vietnam changed all who served indelibly and forever. My great motivating desire in writing about Vietnam was first a cathartic one, to heal the demons of war within me from where I'd stashed them from so long ago, bringing them out and confronting them so I could deal with them face-to-face, looking them in the eye. I know everyone is not the same, and everyone is not ready for this...but writing about it helped me heal...and I have received so many letters from brothers-in-arms, like the one telling me, "Damn, you tell it just as I feel it. You echo the words in my head that I can't express. I didn't know anyone else thought the way I did." Many tell me my words are also healing to them, like the tough Marine tank sergeant who called, telling me he was crying like a baby that someone else understood. It is healing to talk about the traumas of war, and to get the demons of combat that we warriors who have stood in battle have buried so deep, out in front of us, out on our terms where we can easier deal with them. I too was in denial about combat and its haunting memories. I could not bear to talk about it, and tried hard to just forget the trauma ever happened. That didn't work well, but thinking about the memories was too painful ... too confusing. I didn't understand it, and could not get a handle on it ... but it bedeviled my soul. When I finally came out of the closet of denial and started to write about it in 1999, 32 years after the Nam's odyssey, it was healing. My poetry has meaning that transcends my cathartic writing. jacobs@atcnet.net http://namtour.com/namtour.html
Feb 23rd, 2010 1:27pm