OVERVIEW
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a recognised mental health condition that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a frightening, dangerous or deeply distressing event. It is far more common than many people realise, and it can affect anyone — of any age, background or occupation — who has lived through trauma. Despite this, PTSD is still widely misunderstood, and people who live with it often feel isolated, ashamed or reluctant to seek help. Greater awareness in the workplace and the wider community helps to break down that stigma, makes it easier for people to ask for support, and ensures that those who are struggling are met with understanding rather than judgement.
You will learn about trauma and the body's stress response, who can develop PTSD and how common it is, normal reactions versus delayed onset and complex PTSD, the four symptom clusters — re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal, and negative changes in mood and thinking — triggers and their impact on life and relationships, NICE-recommended psychological therapies (trauma-focused CBT and EMDR), medication at awareness level, and how to offer trauma-informed support that avoids re-traumatisation.
