Today (Tuesday, June 27) is National Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day, and world-recognised experts in trauma-related mental health research and treatment, Phoenix Australia, want to drive a greater understanding of the condition.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is Australia’s most common mental health condition after depression, but it’s often left undiagnosed and untreated.

PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events or a set of traumatic circumstances.

A diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to an upsetting, traumatic event such as natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, war and combat, rape and sexual assault, historical trauma, intimate partner violence and bullying.

Exposure includes directly experiencing an event, witnessing a traumatic event happening to others, or learning that a traumatic event happened to a close family member or friend. It can also occur as a result of repeated exposure to horrible details of trauma, such as police officers being exposed to details of child abuse cases.

And while not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD, about five to 10 per cent of Australians will suffer from PTSD at some point in their lives, meaning at any one time, over 1 million Australians have PTSD.

Often associated with combat and war, with PTSD referred to as ‘shell shock’ during the years of World War 1 and ‘combat fatigue’ after World War 2, it is a common misconception that traumatic combat and war events are the sole cause of the disorder.

Phoenix Australia’s director, Professor David Forbes, explains that PTSD can result from the sudden death of a loved one, witnessing or being 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”, Professor Forbes said.

“Now more than ever, it’s important to understand how much adversity, stress and trauma can affect our mental and physical health.”

People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended.

They may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged from other people.

People with PTSD may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event, and they may have strong adverse reactions to something as ordinary as a loud noise or an accidental touch.

PTSD is a harrowing, discombobulating, exhausting disorder with episodes often propelling those diagnosed into a fearful and seemingly inescapable nightmare as they relive the trauma far after the fact.

For some people, symptoms of PTSD subside or disappear over time; others get better with the help of their support system, but many people with PTSD need professional treatment to recover from psychological distress that can be intense and disabling.

It is important to remember that trauma may lead to severe distress, that distress is not the individual’s fault, and that PTSD is treatable.

Phoenix Australia’s website has advice for people suffering from trauma and resources for the health professionals treating them, and it also offers online and in-person training for individuals and organisations.

For more information and resources, visit phoenixaustralia.org

If you or anyone you know needs help:

Lifeline 13 11 14

Kids Helpline 1800 551 800

Beyond Blue 1300 224 636

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

Headspace 1800 650 890

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Support Line 13YARN 13 92 76

MensLine Australia 1300 789 978

Open Arms Veterans & Families Counselling 1800 011 046