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Long Beach, CA 90807
Phone: 562.981.2200
It's natural to be afraid when you're in danger. It's natural to be upset when something bad happens to you or someone you know. But if you feel afraid and upset weeks or months later, it's time to talk with your doctor. You might have post-traumatic stress disorder.
PTSD is a real illness. You can get PTSD after living through or seeing a dangerous event, such as war, a hurricane, or bad accident. PTSD makes you feel stressed and afraid after the danger is over. It affects your life and the people around you.
If you have PTSD, you can get treatment and feel better.
PTSD can happen to anyone at any age. Children get PTSD too.
You don't have to be physically hurt to get PTSD. You can get it after you see other people, such as a friend or family member, get hurt.
Living through or seeing something that's upsetting and dangerous can cause PTSD. This can include:
There are many other things that can cause PTSD. Talk to your doctor if you are troubled by something that happened to you or someone you care about.
Children who have PTSD may show other types of problems. These can include:
PTSD starts at different times for different people. Signs of PTSD may start soon after a frightening event and then continue. Other people develop new or more severe signs months or even years later.
PTSD can be treated. A doctor or mental health professional who has experience in treating people with PTSD can help you. Treatment may include "talk" therapy, medication, or both.
Treatment might take 6 to 12 weeks. For some people, it takes longer. Treatment is not the same for everyone. What works for you might not work for someone else.
Drinking alcohol or using other drugs will not help PTSD go away and may even make it worse.
If you are thinking about harming yourself, or know someone who is, tell someone who can help immediately:
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IMPORTANT: The information on this website is NOT intended to substitute for the expertise and advice of a qualified healthcare professional. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with a qualified healthcare professional. The mention of any product, service, or therapy is NOT an endorsement. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be responsible for any damage or harm caused by the improper use of information in this website. |
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Any diagnostic or treatment options presented herein are for general informational purposes and may NOT necessarily represent tests or treatments that your healthcare professional performs, provides, or would recommend. The information is simply provided for educational purposes and in a good faith effort to help patients make a more informed decision about their healthcare. Furthermore, any tests or treatments presented herein may NOT be comprehensive with regard to all the diagnostic or therapeutic options that may be available for any given medical condition or disease. Accordingly, you should always discuss any decisions about treatment or care with a qualified healthcare professional. |
This website may feature actors, models, or artistic representations. The actors and models may NOT have actually used or provided any product or service described or promoted in this website. These actors and models may be identified with the notification: "Model" or "Model – not actual patient". If actual patients are featured, they may be identified with the notification: "Actual subject", "Real subject", and/or "Before vs. After". Artistic renderings of any medical condition, disease, or treatment in this website are for illustrative purposes only and may NOT be a realistic depiction of actual medical conditions, diseases, patients, or treatments. Actual outcomes of any medical condition or actual results achieved by any treatment may be significantly different due to variations in the delivery of healthcare and the individual circumstances of each patient. |
"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder F.A.Q." |
