All Conditions

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

A trauma response that keeps the past replaying in the present.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition that can follow experiencing a terrifying event that overwhelms the senses, or watching someone else go through it. Previously associated with combat veterans or people who have been victims of terrorism or violent crime, we now know that experiences of sexual or physical assault, childhood neglect and emotional abuse can also lead to a person developing PTSD. A defining symptom of PTSD is flashbacks to the terrifying incident that can feel as if the experience is playing out again in real time. Nightmares, avoidance of anything that may remind the traumatised person of their experience and hypervigilance are also trademarks of PTSD. A person struggling with moving on from a traumatic incident may put a lot of effort into avoiding thoughts of what happened. However, these symptoms of PTSD make it doubly hard to move on and make people feel as if they are stuck in time.

When to seek help

After going through a distressing event, most people have a hard time adjusting to normal life for some time. However, if symptoms persist over the coming months or seem to get worse instead of better, you may be dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Sometimes, PTSD symptoms may show up months or years after the incident. In either of these cases, it is advisable to seek professional help.

How we can help

Self-assessment scales

These are the same validated scales clinicians use. Your answers stay on your device and take a few minutes.

Common questions

Do I have PTSD if my trauma wasn't a single dramatic event?
Possibly, depending on what your symptoms look like and where the trauma came from. PTSD was originally defined around discrete, life-threatening incidents such as combat, assault, or accidents, and DSM-5 still requires exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. The lived experience of trauma is often broader than that. Repeated or developmental trauma, including childhood abuse, neglect, or prolonged interpersonal violence, often produces a related but distinct presentation that ICD-11 now recognises as Complex PTSD. A trauma-trained clinician can help you work out which framework fits your experience best.
What's the most effective treatment for PTSD?
The strongest evidence is for trauma-focused psychotherapies. Prolonged exposure (PE), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), and EMDR all have substantial evidence behind them and produce comparable outcomes [1]. The choice between them often comes down to therapist availability and personal preference. EMDR, for example, does not require detailed verbal recounting of the trauma, which some clients prefer. Medication (SSRIs in particular) can support therapy and helps with associated depression and sleep difficulties, but it is not the main treatment for PTSD itself.
I avoid talking about what happened. Will treatment force me to relive it?
Trauma-focused therapy does involve engaging with the memory, but in a structured and paced way rather than unrestrained reliving. The aim is not to make you feel worse. It is to help your nervous system process what happened so that the memory stops feeling like it is happening now. Good trauma therapists work at the client's pace and build resourcing skills before any deeper processing begins. EMDR in particular tends to feel less verbally exposing than the talk-based options.
My PTSD symptoms only started months after the event. Is that normal?
Delayed-onset PTSD is well-documented. Symptoms can emerge weeks, months, or even years after the trauma, often triggered by a reminder, a major life transition, or the lifting of the survival mode that initially kept symptoms suppressed. The delay does not mean the symptoms are unrelated to the trauma. It also does not mean you have waited too long to seek help. Trauma-focused treatment is effective regardless of how much time has passed since the event [2].