how long does ptsd last?

Question

has anyone been cured or does it last for a lifetime? if so to what extent?

Answer 1

That depends on the individual.

Answer 2

its like grief and depression, it really does vary from person to person and to the extent the trauma occured to the person- which ofcourse you never know till your through it.

If you look at it from one perspective- that you are forever marked by it, then you will see that its a lifetime it lasts, but if you are talking about the not wanting to get out of bed/afraid, then this is the inital stuff and lasts as long as your support is distant. You will be able to recover from this, but the effect of being so knocked for six as the result of your experience and your mind playing tricks on you is enough to scare you into taking on life from a slightly different angle.

Answer 3

Hi, I suffered frol PTSD 15 years ago after being severely beaten up by my drunken partner. I honestly believed I was going to die that night. They continued to harrass me for a year after that and I had trouble getting to sleep, nightmares flashbacks panic attacks etc.
My doctor gave me prozac which did nothing. I then had an anti anxiety anntidepressant for two and a half years which helped. I took up drinking which killed the mental pain but nearly became alcoholic. I did relaxation tecniques which partially helped. I gave up work and spent 6 months resting. then i worked part time in a menial job for 18 months whilst i continued recovering.
I would say in all it took me about 8 years to recover fully and have been PTSD free for about 7 years.
To anyone who has it I would say rest as much as you can and spend as much of your time doing pleasurable things and rebuilding your life. Stay positive and determined to overcome it. My best wishes as i Know only too well what a living hell it is..

Answer 4

I have been suffering with PTSD for two and a half years now. I am having counselling every week for it which helps, but I still have a long way to go.

I do believe that with the right help and a lot of willpower you can come through it, but in order to do so it gets worse before it gets better.

I have also found that trying to shut it out and push it away makes it come back worse so it is best to get help and deal with it head on.

Best wishes :-)))

Answer 5

i have post traumatic stress disorder i am 32 now and it stems from abuse when i was 10 years old but unfortunately it was only picked up three years ago so i would say that it can last a life time but at the same time i allowed it to last this long because i never had any counselling and help when i was a child.

i have recently learnt that IT IS NOT THE EVENT THAT EFFECTS YOUR LIFE IT IS THE WAY YOU REACT TO IT i think that this means that i allowed myself to get screwed up by the abuse if i didn't allow it to screw me up it wouldn't have done

i am now on medication for ptsd, ocd,paranoia panic attacks and i have depression but i really feel that i got my self into this situation if i had realised this when i was 11 years old what i would be like now i would have done something different

if you have post traumatic stress disorder good luck for the future
xxx

Answer 6

Hi,
I just wanted to say that if you have PTSD, you're not alone darlin.

I developed it after several times over years of seeing my mums partner beat her, and then he tried to kill her when i was 10.

I then went on to cut myself, and evry drug you can think of! this was my way of dealing with what had happened.

I believe that PTSD is the mark that a trauma leaves in your mind....but how far you let it go is up to you.

My therapist told me that it never goes, and i believe that to a certain extent. But i also believe that, with therapy, and changing the way you think about the trauma, can almost eliminate it. Obviously it will never go away, but you must be determined that you CAN control it, and it is so true, that something good always comes out of something bad.

As one door closes, another door opens. remember that.

Good Luck, and please trust me, we can beat this terrible disorder for the best!!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Answer 7

PTSD can be cured but, to the best of my knowledge as both a psychologist and someone who suffered from PTSD, it requires treatment from a mental health clinician. "Time may heal..." many things, but PTSD is usually not one of them. The longer it goes on, the more difficult it is to treat, and the more difficult it is to get rid of it. When PTSD has gone on for a long period of time it becomes "chronic". Often, people with chronic PTSD use drugs, including alcohol, to dull the feelings of the disorder. Prescribed medications, on the other hand, can help one cope with the symptoms of PTSD well enough to be able to undertake longer-term psychotherapy work. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (C-BT) is the most effective form of therapy for PTSD because it helps you to recognize "automatic thoughts" about yourself, your situation, and your disorder, and to find effective strategies to deal with the intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and other symptoms of PTSD. Medications and C-BT together can reduce the time that it takes to recover from PTSD.

I was violently raped many years ago, and began to become enormously self-destructive as a result of the PTSD that I developed. I had terrible nightmares almost every night from which I awoke screaming. I was terrified of places/situations that reminded me of the rape. I became very depressed and almost killed myself. When I became aware of how self-destructive I was, and how much I would hurt the people who loved me if I did hurt myself, I got into therapy and stayed until I was "cured" of the PTSD. It didn't take all that long, once I got a good therapist who did C-BT. But I have also worked with and known socially some people who have chronic PTSD that may well last a lifetime because they are unwilling to go through the treatment that it takes to recover from PTSD. Many veterans experience PTSD and do not go through treatment. As a result, they continue to experience lifelong symptoms of PTSD, some of which include substance abuse/addiction, instability in relationships, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks--all of it. Some of these people are veterans of Viet Nam, so their PTSD is very long-lasting. Most of the so-called "bush vets", veterans who are homeless, substance abusers, etc. continue to experience the symptoms of PTSD.

Answer 8

Some people are cured in a few months. Other people spend their whole lives with it. A lot of Vietnam veterans still haven't gotten over it.

Answer 9

depends on the person no does not last a lifetime try not to think about it dont be put off by your experience as will never happen again i wish you well

Answer 10

I think it is pretty long standing. I suffered abuse as a child I am 35 and it still haunts me. BUt that is just my experience. It's been worse since I've had children I blame my parents more for letting those things happen and for being such a cra**y parents to me.

Answer 11

Yes- people have been 'cured', or at least their symptoms no longer bother them.

It depends on the person and what kind of help they receive.