APPMED · MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
BEFORE YOU READ
Start here
This page is for general education only. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for assessment, diagnosis, or treatment by a qualified health professional. If you think you may have PTSD, speak with your doctor, a psychologist, or your local health service. This page discusses trauma and suicide, which some readers may find difficult.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.
988 — Suicide Crisis Helpline (Canada): call or text 988, free, 24/7, in English or French.
Québec — 1-866-APPELLE (1-866-277-3553): suicide prevention and help line, 24/7 · text 535353 · chat at suicide.ca.
Info-Social 811 (Québec): dial 811 and choose option 2 for free 24/7 psychosocial support.
Veterans & military — VAC Assistance Service: 1-800-268-7708, 24/7. Youth — Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868.
Understanding PTSD
01
What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental-health condition that can develop after living through or witnessing a terrifying event — a serious accident, an assault, combat, a disaster, or the sudden death or injury of someone else. Most people who go through a trauma have strong reactions at first and then gradually recover. When the reactions are severe, last longer than about a month, and interfere with daily life, the picture may be PTSD.
PTSD is recognized in the two main diagnostic systems used in Canada — the DSM-5 and the ICD-11 — and it is a treatable condition. Having PTSD is not a sign of weakness, and it can affect anyone, at any age.
02
Who develops PTSD?
PTSD can follow any kind of trauma, but some groups face higher exposure and higher risk:
- Military members and veterans — combat, operational stress, and moral injury.
- Public-safety personnel and first responders — police officers, paramedics, firefighters, correctional and dispatch workers exposed to repeated critical incidents. In Canada this is increasingly recognized as an occupational post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI).
- Civilians — survivors and witnesses of collisions, violence, assault, or disasters, including bystanders to a single overwhelming event.
- Children and adolescents — young people can develop PTSD too, and they may show it differently than adults.
Recovery is possible in every one of these groups, especially when the condition is identified early and matched to the right treatment.
03
Recognizing the symptoms
PTSD symptoms usually fall into four groups:
- Re-experiencing — intrusive memories, nightmares, or flashbacks of the event.
- Avoidance — staying away from people, places, conversations, or reminders linked to the trauma.
- Negative changes in thoughts and mood — persistent fear, guilt or shame, feeling detached, or losing interest in things.
- Heightened arousal — being constantly on guard, easily startled, irritable, or unable to sleep or concentrate.
Some people also experience dissociation — feeling detached from themselves or their surroundings. PTSD often travels with depression, anxiety, sleep problems, or alcohol use, which is why a full assessment matters. Only a qualified professional can make a diagnosis.
04
How PTSD is treated
PTSD is treatable, and the treatments with the strongest evidence are specific trauma-focused psychotherapies. Canadian and international guidelines recommend these as the first-line choice:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) — works on the stuck, painful beliefs a trauma can leave behind (often helpful where guilt or self-blame is central).
- Prolonged Exposure (PE) — gradually and safely reduces the power of trauma reminders.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) — helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories.
- Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) — the first-line treatment for children and adolescents, with a caregiver involved.
Medications can help, usually alongside therapy. First-line options include the antidepressants sertraline, paroxetine, and venlafaxine; prazosin is sometimes used for trauma nightmares. Benzodiazepines (sedatives such as lorazepam) are generally not recommended for PTSD. Every medication decision should be made individually with a prescriber.
Treating conditions that often come with PTSD — depression, insomnia, or problem drinking — at the same time improves the odds of recovery.
05
Tracking recovery: measurement-based care
PTSD rarely improves in a straight line. Anniversaries, news coverage, a return to work, or an unexpected reminder can all cause a setback. Measurement-based care means checking in on symptoms regularly with short validated questionnaires — instead of relying only on memory at the next appointment — so that progress is visible and setbacks are caught early.
Between visits, brief daily check-ins on sleep, nightmares, mood, and stress — and, for some people, wearable measures such as heart rate and sleep — can add an objective signal to the picture. This is the approach behind digital monitoring tools like the AppMed platform: turn the ordinary ups and downs of recovery into a clear, shared record that a patient and their clinician can act on together, before a hard week becomes a crisis.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Almost everyone reacts strongly right after a trauma, and most people recover on their own within a few weeks. PTSD is considered when severe symptoms — intrusive memories, avoidance, mood changes, and being constantly on edge — persist beyond about a month and get in the way of everyday life.
Yes. Trauma-focused psychotherapies such as CPT, PE, and EMDR have strong evidence, and many people improve substantially or recover. Getting help early and sticking with treatment improves the outcome.
Not necessarily. Trauma-focused therapy is first-line and can work on its own. Medication (for example sertraline, paroxetine, or venlafaxine) is a helpful option for many people, often combined with therapy. This is a decision to make with a prescriber, based on your situation.
Anyone exposed to a traumatic event — including military members and veterans, first responders and public-safety workers, civilians, and children and youth. Exposure and risk differ, but PTSD is not a personal weakness.
Recovery has ups and downs. Short, regular check-ins make progress visible and help you and your clinician catch a setback — around an anniversary, a return to work, or a difficult reminder — early enough to adjust the plan.
If you are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. In Canada you can call or text 988 any time. In Quebec, call 1-866-APPELLE (1-866-277-3553), text 535353, or dial 811 (option 2). You do not have to wait until things feel unbearable to reach out.
Learn about PTSD, be patient, avoid pushing someone to talk before they are ready, and encourage professional help. Supporting steady sleep and routines helps, and you can call a help line yourself for guidance on supporting someone.
No. PTSD is a treatable condition, not a life sentence. Symptoms can ease significantly with the right treatment, and many people go on to full, active lives — sometimes with occasional check-ins to stay well.
WHERE TO GET HELP
Trusted Canadian & Quebec resources
Crisis & immediate help
- 9-1-1 — immediate danger or medical emergency.
- 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline — call or text 988, 24/7 · 988.ca
- Québec — 1-866-APPELLE (1-866-277-3553) · text 535353 · suicide.ca
- Info-Social 811 (Québec) — 24/7 psychosocial support, option 2 · quebec.ca
Learn about PTSD
Veterans & military
- Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families — trusted PTSD resources for the military and veteran community · atlasveterans.ca
- Veterans Affairs Canada — VAC Assistance Service, 1-800-268-7708 (24/7) · veterans.gc.ca
Public safety & first responders
- PSPNET — free internet-delivered therapy for public-safety personnel · pspnet.ca
- CIPSRT — Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment · cipsrt-icrtsp.ca
Quebec-specific
- Centre d’étude sur le trauma — trauma information and help resources · trauma.criusmm.net
- Gouvernement du Québec — mental-health help & support · quebec.ca
- Occupational PTSI (workers) — CNESST · cnesst.gouv.qc.ca. Victims of crime — IVAC.
Children, youth & families
- Kids Help Phone — 1-800-668-6868 · text CONNECT to 686868 · kidshelpphone.ca
- Tel-jeunes (Québec) — 1-800-263-2266 · teljeunes.com
References & sources
- Public Health Agency of Canada. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). canada.ca.
- Gouvernement du Québec. Mental health help and support resources; Info-Social 811. quebec.ca.
- 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline (Canada). 988.ca.
- Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec. Guide de pratique clinique — trouble de stress post-traumatique (2023).
- VA/DoD. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of PTSD and Acute Stress Disorder (2023) — first-line trauma-focused psychotherapies and pharmacotherapy.
- Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families. atlasveterans.ca.
- Public Safety Canada. Supporting Canada’s Public Safety Personnel: An Action Plan on Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries.
- American Psychiatric Association, DSM-5; World Health Organization, ICD-11 — diagnostic criteria for PTSD.
Educational content only. Not a medical device claim. Always consult a qualified health professional.