Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a relatively new diagnosis. It wasn’t until the seventies that doctors started to use the term PTSD to refer to their patients and it was only officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980. It had other names however, one of the most frequently used being shell shock. This was the plague of veterans from the First World War onwards, who found the return to civilian life to be almost impossible. Their symptoms would include involuntary tears, fits of shaking, bouts of paranoia and fear and flashbacks to their time on the battlefields.
 
Although considered unfortunate and reasonably serious, shell shock was mostly accepted as a reality of war. Physicians thought that it was linked to the literal explosions of artillery shells on the battlefields, hence its name. A more sinister undertone also developed that seemed to equate long periods of shell shock with weakness of character and this particular association became so bad that the moniker was banned by the British Army during the Second World War. Despite this, doctors continued to notice common symptoms in those returning from conflicts.

These days, PTSD sits as an umbrella term that covers these symptoms, which can range from nightmares and flashbacks, to feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt and sometimes insomnia. We also know that war is not the only trigger. Sexual abuse, physical violence, even witnessing a traumatic event can cause PTSD and put our brains into a constant, heightened fight or flight mode that can make day to day life well, frankly, unliveable. As with much mental illness, the symptoms are not the only aspect of the condition that makes life hard for sufferers. There is a huge amount of stigma and misconception that surrounds PTSD, even today.
 
We asked some of the experienced medical professionals who are part of the Key Locums family about what most people believe when it comes to PTSD - their responses were sadly similar: “You have to have been in the forces”, “It's something only old men suffer from”, “It’s either soldiers that suffer from it, or rape victims, that get it”. Another prevalent opinion that they encounter is that it isn’t that big a deal: “It only affects weak people”, “It is not as intense as the sufferer indicates that it is” and “It’s not real, people should get over it.” Finally, and perhaps most damagingly, several indicated that people with PTSD are regarded with fear as unstable and potentially violent.
 
As Raconteur puts it “Lack of knowledge, discrimination and stigma are the biggest obstacles to seeking, or providing, care.” Education, as ever, is key. It is true someone suffering from PTSD may have what is known as “hyperarousal” causing them to feel edgy and perhaps experience outbursts. However, treatment options such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy and antidepressants have been shown to help greatly. Labelling someone as a danger to society, further ostracising and isolating them when they are in fact the most vulnerable and deserving of care not only increases the stigma but can actually put lives in danger.

New treatments for PTSD are often reported in the press, with medical scientists searching some unlikely avenues for options. Most recently, ecstasy has been touted as a possible way to battle the condition. According to the report, “PTSD symptoms decreased after one session of MDMA together with psychotherapy," says Walsh, study co-author. “54% of participants no longer met PTSD criteria after two sessions and that there was also an improvement in their symptoms of depression.” Whether party drugs hold the key or other, more traditional forms of therapy, the first step is making sure that those who are suffering feel empowered to come forward and ask for help without fear of disbelief or disapprobation. Remember, PTSD comes in all shapes and forms.