When the flood recedes or the smoke clears, the disaster is not always over. Some injuries do not show up on skin or in X-rays. The VA National Center for PTSD estimates that PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) is a mental health problem some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault. This short series walks through what PTSD is, how to recognize it in yourself or someone you love, and the treatments proven to work.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Diagnosis and treatment belong with qualified mental health professionals. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 in the United States, or call 911.

The Readiness Audit

Do you know the difference between a rough month and PTSD?

• Green: You know the four symptom clusters, the few-months threshold, and where to find evidence-based care.
• Yellow: You would notice something wrong but not know what to call it.
• Red: You assume time alone fixes everything.

If you are Yellow or Red, execute Phase 1 immediately.

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Phase 1: What PTSD Is

Goal: Define the injury precisely.

PTSD is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event. After such an event, it is normal to have upsetting memories, feel on edge, or have trouble sleeping. Most people start to feel better after a few weeks or months. If it has been longer than a few months and symptoms are still present, it may be PTSD. Symptoms may also start later, or come and go over time.

The Takeaway: The clock matters. Rough weeks after a disaster are normal, and symptoms that persist past a few months deserve a professional’s assessment.

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Phase 2: What Causes It

Goal: Know the range of triggering events.

Any experience that threatens your life or someone else’s can cause PTSD. The booklet’s list: combat and other military experiences, sexual or physical assault, learning about the violent or accidental death or injury of a loved one, child sexual or physical abuse, serious accidents like a car wreck, natural disasters like a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake, and terrorist attacks. During such an event you may have no control over what is happening, and you may feel very afraid.

The Takeaway: There is no minimum size for a trauma. What matters is the threat to life and the fear, not whether others consider the event serious.

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Phase 3: The Good News

Goal: Hold on to the outcome data.

Here is the booklet’s core message: you can get treatment for PTSD, and it works. For some people, treatment can get rid of PTSD altogether. For others, it makes symptoms less intense. Treatment also gives you the tools to manage symptoms so they do not keep you from living your life. PTSD treatment can turn your life around, even if you have been struggling for years.

The Takeaway: PTSD is one of the most treatable mental health conditions, and the treatments with the strongest evidence are covered in the next post.

Next Steps

1. Re-run the Readiness Audit. Scroll back to the top, answer the three questions honestly, and close whichever gap they reveal before you close this tab.
2. Print the checklist. The kit list above only works if it exists when the power is out, so paper beats apps here.
3. Fold it into the family plan. A prepared household beats prepared person, so put these steps in front of everyone who shares your roof.

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Next: Read What PTSD Is and How to Recognize It for the four symptom clusters and the screening questions.

Adapted from VA National Center for PTSD - Understanding PTSD and PTSD Treatment (public domain). Read the original: Understanding PTSD and PTSD Treatment.