PTSD affects 12% of all Australians, so we thought we should decode the facts, the myths and the famous who are affected or have been affected by PTSD.
The Myths – The Facts
MYTH: People should be able to move on with their lives after a traumatic event and those who can’t cope are weak.
FACT: Many people who experience an extremely traumatic event go through an adjustment period following the exposure. For some people, a traumatic event changes their views about themselves and the world around them. While most people are able to return to leading a ‘normal’ life, however stress caused by trauma can affect all aspects of a person’s life including mental, emotional and physical health.
MYTH: People suffer from PTSD right after they experience a traumatic event.
FACT: PTSD symptoms usually develop within the first three months after trauma, but may not reappear until months or years later. Symptoms may continue for years following the event or may subside and reappear later in life, often in the case with victims of childhood abuse.
The Famous
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi got PTSD after witnessing two planes collide in midair. Every time she boards planes, she has panic attacks. She is now receiving therapy to overcome this problem.
Charlize Theron
Charlize had a problematic childhood with her father getting drunk and beating her and her mother. Theron claimed her father died in a car accident, as she was trying to forget the night when her mother killed her father while trying to protect herself and Charlize.
Demi Moore
Demi Moore has suffered from depression, anorexia and seizure due to drug use. She didn’t respond to her divorce because she was in a state of denial which is a symptom of PTSD.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey suffers from PTSD as a result of being raped by a relative when she was 9 years old and was later abused by many people for several years. She also had a baby who died early.
Information sourced from Sidran and enkivillage.
NOT SO 'MENTAL' 