What is PTSD? Signs, Support and Help in Australia

What is PTSD?

Some people notice that their body still behaves as if danger is present, long after the event has ended. Sleep is light. A sound or a place can start a surge. The world can feel smaller because some situations are avoided.

If that pattern has lasted for months, you may be dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This page is about that present-day pattern. It is not a place to describe what happened, and it is not a replacement for EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, or medical care.

This article explains common signs, how this page differs from childhood trauma or accident-related trauma, and how clinical hypnotherapy at Norwest Wellbeing may help alongside first-line care. For treatment pathways and booking, see PTSD treatment and the PTSD hypnotherapy page.

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A plain definition

PTSD is a stuck stress response. The body keeps using threat responses (startle, watchfulness, avoidance, broken sleep) after the original danger has passed.

This is not a character problem. It is a learned loop that can still change. This page will not ask you to recount an event.

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Common signs (without the story)

Body and sleep signs commonly include:

• Light or broken sleep, or dreams that leave you on edge
• A strong startle
• Feeling on guard in ordinary places

Daily-life signs commonly include:

• Avoiding places, people, or tasks that start a surge
• Feeling cut off from others
• A smaller week because some situations feel too costly

This page does not list event types. If the work you want is specifically childhood-focused, use childhood trauma. If it is specifically after an accident, use accident-related trauma. Broader past-processing sits on resolving the past.

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How this differs from anxiety, panic, and OCD

Anxiety is broader worry. Panic attacks are sudden physical surges. OCD is a thought-plus-ritual loop. PTSD is a stuck threat response after a frightening event. Use the page that matches the main pattern.

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Australian context

The ABS National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020-2022) reported that 5.6% of people aged 16-85 had a 12-month post-traumatic stress disorder. There is no verified official "7.8% of young Australians" or "15% increase since 2015" statistic we can cite on this page.

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When to seek help in Australia

Seek support when sleep, work, relationships, or leaving the house have been affected for months.

First-line care for adults with PTSD, in the Phoenix Australia / NHMRC guidelines, is trauma-focused CBT (including variants such as prolonged exposure) and EMDR. Clinical hypnotherapy at Norwest Wellbeing is complementary to that care. It is not a substitute, and it is not a reason to stop prescribed medication.

Norwest Wellbeing is not a crisis service. Lifeline is 13 11 14. In an emergency call 000.

If you want complementary regulation support alongside your existing plan, start on the PTSD hypnotherapy page. You can also take a short PTSD screening quiz or read the self-screening guide.

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How clinical hypnotherapy may help

Sessions with Paul or Rebecca Smith start with a map of present-day cues (sleep, startle, avoidance), then guided relaxation and suggestion aimed at those situations. You stay aware throughout. You do not need to give a detailed account of an event for this work to start.

Norwest Wellbeing's own reported outcomes sit in a 75-85% range for many people within 2-5 sessions. That figure is clinic-reported, not a finding from a large PTSD trial, and it is not a claim that hypnosis replaces EMDR or TF-CBT.

Brom, Kleber and Defares (1989) compared hypnotherapy, trauma desensitisation, and psychodynamic therapy with a wait-list in 112 people. Treated groups had fewer trauma-related symptoms than the wait-list. Differences between the three treatments were small. That study did not make hypnosis first-line care.

A personalised hypnosis audio is also available at /hypnosis/ptsd if you want something to use between live sessions.

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Frequently asked questions

Will I have to talk about what happened? No. This clinic's PTSD work starts with present-day regulation. If you already have an EMDR or TF-CBT plan, say so. We will not ask for a detailed account on this page or in the quiz.

Does research prove hypnotherapy is first-line for PTSD? No. Phoenix Australia / NHMRC guidelines recommend TF-CBT and EMDR for adults. Clinic-reported outcomes at Norwest sit in a 75-85% range over 2-5 sessions and are not a guideline finding.

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Next step

If this description matches what you have been living with, start on the PTSD hypnotherapy page, or book with Paul or Rebecca Smith at the Baulkham Hills clinic or via Zoom Australia-wide. If you are in distress now, contact Lifeline 13 11 14 or 000.