By Catherine Bishop (Clinical Psychologist, PsyBA Board-Approved Supervisor)
There are many myths and misconceptions about post-traumatic stress disorder (or PTSD for short) which can make it difficult for people to recognise this in themselves or to feel okay in seeking support. In honour of PTSD awareness day, let’s have a look at some common myths or misconceptions about PTSD and talk about what is actually true.
Myth 1: PTSD is only for veterans
Often when people think of PTSD, they picture veterans who have been to war or people who have survived life threatening events. While PTSD is common in those situations, the reality is PTSD can affect anybody who has experienced something very overwhelming, frightening, or unsafe. This can include things like experiencing violence, abuse, being in an accident, difficult medical procedures, witnessing these things occurring, or being exposed to these themes through your work. Experiences such as neglect and bullying can also lead to experience of PTSD symptoms.
PTSD is not limited to a certain type of trauma or to a certain type of person. Although, it is important to acknowledge that some groups of people may be more vulnerable to experiencing trauma and developing PTSD because of things like experience of poverty, discrimination, marginalisation, unsafe living situations, or not having access to the right support. This can include for example, people from LGBTQIA+ communities, First Nations peoples, migrant and refugee communities, and neurodivergent people. That’s a bigger topic on its own which we won’t go into here, but the key message is: anyone can experience trauma, and anyone can develop PTSD.
Myth 2: It wasn’t “bad enough” to cause PTSD
This is a belief that many people with PTSD hold, often leading to feelings of shame and self-doubt. Others may also unintentionally reinforce this idea if they don’t understand the nature of trauma and PTSD. But experience of trauma is personal and not comparative, just because someone else might have “had it worse” does not mean this experience doesn’t count. What matters is how the brain and body responded, not how dramatic or obvious the event seems from the outside.
Other factors also play a role, such as:
Whether the trauma was one of many in a pattern of stressful and traumatic life experiences
If the event came as a significant shock in a previously safe and stable life
The personal meaning of the event/situation to the person. It’s not always the most “obviously bad” event that has the biggest impact
Myth 3: PTSD is caused by one big event
PTSD can be caused by a single traumatic incident, like a car accident, assault, or natural disaster, but it can also develop from ongoing, repeated stressors.
This includes:
Ongoing bullying or emotional abuse
Growing up in an unpredictable or unsafe environment
Repeated medical trauma
Living under chronic threat or fear
Repeated exposure to traumatic themes through work, such as those who work as first responders or in medical settings
These “smaller” but repeated traumas can accumulate and have a powerful impact over time.
Myth 4: It can’t be PTSD, I don’t have flashbacks and nightmares
PTSD doesn’t look the same for everyone. Some people do experience vivid flashbacks (feeling or acting as though you are back at the time) or nightmares. Others may never have those symptoms at all.
Re-experiencing the trauma might instead look like:
Intrusive thoughts or memories about the trauma
Feeling very distressed or upset when something reminds you of the trauma
Strong physical reactions to reminders of the trauma, like racing heart, sweating, shaking, shallow breathing, or nausea
PTSD also includes:
Avoidance of internal (e.g., thoughts, feelings, memories) or external (e.g., people, places, objects, conversations) reminders of the trauma
Changes in thinking (about self and/or others) and emotions (e.g., intense feelings and reactions or feeling disconnected from feelings)
Changes in body responses, such as being on high alert, easily startled or jumpy, difficulty sleeping or concentrating
Myth 5: If it was so bad I would remember it in vivid detail
For some people this is true. For others, they might have blocked out parts of the trauma. Some people remember everything in vivid detail; others feel like parts of the experience are missing, blurry, or disconnected. Some people experience both. In overwhelming or extremely distressing moments, the brain sometimes protects us by “disconnecting” from what’s happening - this is a survival strategy, not a sign that the experience wasn’t serious.
Myth 6: You can’t recover from PTSD
Many people believe that once you have PTSD, you’ll always have it - but this isn’t true. PTSD is treatable, and recovery is possible. With the right support, people can heal, regain a sense of safety, and feel more in control of their lives again. Therapies such as EMDR and trauma-focussed CBT have been found to be effective in supporting people to recover from PTSD.
Sometimes, though, people worry that treating PTSD will somehow erase or invalidate what they went through. When a traumatic experience has had a profound impact, it can deeply affect how someone sees themselves and their world. The idea of reducing PTSD symptoms can feel like minimising the seriousness of what happened or even like losing a part of their identity. What is important to know is that therapy doesn’t take away what happened; instead, it helps people carry it differently. Healing doesn't mean forgetting what happened or never feeling distress – it means being able to live without constantly feeling stuck in survival mode, and building a meaningful life beyond trauma.
For some, living with PTSD is all they’ve known for a long time, so the idea of changing this can also feel unfamiliar, unsafe, or extremely frightening. It is important to know that trauma therapy is a gradual process, typically involving resourcing and preparation work before moving into processing work. This can take a short amount of time or a long amount of time, depending on the nature of the trauma and the person’s pre-existing supports and resources. Therapists should make collaborative plans with their clients about how trauma work will happen to ensure a sense of safety in the process.
Final note
You don’t need to wait for things to get worse before you seek help. If something still affects you, it matters. If you’re unsure whether what you’re experiencing could be PTSD, a mental health professional can help you make sense of it without judgment.
Written with the assistance of ChatGPT (by OpenAI) to support clear and accessible communication.