Months after a terrible event I still jump at sounds and have nightmares. Is this PTSD?
If a month or more has passed since a frightening event and you keep reliving it in images and dreams, avoid everything that reminds you of it and are always on guard, it looks like post traumatic stress disorder. Only a doctor can diagnose it: start with a GP, who will refer you to a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. PTSD is treated, and help is worth seeking even years after the event. You are not to blame for what happened or for how your body reacts.
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How to tell it might be PTSD
PTSD can follow an event with a threat to life or intense fear: an accident, violence, an assault, a hard birth, the sudden death of someone close, war. It can start right away or months and even years later. Pay attention if you recognise yourself:
- images of the event come back on their own, by day or in nightmares, and your body reacts as if it is happening again
- you avoid places, people and conversations that remind you of what happened
- you are always on guard, jump at sounds, find it hard to sleep and concentrate
- inside there is guilt, shame, anger or numbness, as if your feelings were switched off
What to do, step by step
- See a GP and say what is happening to you now. You do not have to describe the event in detail, the main thing is enough.
- A psychotherapist or psychiatrist chooses the treatment: most often trauma focused therapy, sometimes medication.
- While you wait for help, keep a simple routine: sleep at the same time, meals, short walks.
- Do not numb it with alcohol: it dulls things for a while and then makes them heavier.
- Tell one person you trust. Not necessarily about the event, you can talk about how you feel now.
Where the Ladder fits
The Ladder method does not treat PTSD and does not replace trauma work with a specialist. It helps alongside: to see which words and conclusions after the event (it was my fault, the world is dangerous) stand between you and your goal. The free diagnostics takes 10 minutes, no sign up. If remembering is too hard, put it off and start with a doctor.
If you have thoughts of not wanting to live or you are not safe at home, in Kazakhstan call 112 or 102, in other countries your local emergency number.
Psychological work goes alongside treatment, not instead of it. A psychiatrist or psychotherapist diagnoses PTSD.
Frequently asked questions
How long after an event can PTSD start?
Most often in the first months, but it can also come years later. If the signs last more than a month, it is a reason to see a doctor.
Does PTSD only happen to soldiers?
No. It happens after violence, accidents, hard births, the loss of someone close and other events with intense fear.
Does PTSD go away on its own?
For some people the signs ease by themselves in the first weeks. If a month has passed and it is not getting easier, you need a specialist. You can seek help even years after the event.
Is it my fault that I cannot forget?
No. This is how the nervous system reacts to threat, it is not weakness or character.
See what is holding you back.
In 10 minutes, the Ladder shows past events, other people’s words and your fears on one map. You get your own map at the end.
Take the free diagnosticFree · no sign-up, no payment · 10 minutes · on your phone