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Your doctor will be able to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder by talking with you.

You won't need a blood test or any other kind of laboratory test.¹

But your doctor may need to see you more than once to know for sure whether you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Your doctor will ask about your feelings, your health and the health of your family members.² He or she will also ask about your symptoms. For example, you might be asked if you've been having trouble sleeping, and for how long.¹ Your doctor will also ask you about what you've been through. Your doctor may also want to speak with other people in your family.

Your doctor may ask you some questions from a questionnaire to help him or her find out whether you have PTSD. To find out more, see Questions your doctor might ask.

Your doctor is the best person to talk with. He or she may be able to treat you, or may refer you to a doctor who specializes in mental health.

If you're having trouble going to sleep or staying asleep, your doctor may give you medication to help you sleep.³ But your doctor will probably only give you these sorts of medications for a short time, because there's a risk you'll get addicted to the drugs if you take them for too long.

It's never too late to get treatment.

Doctors sometimes don't spot PTSD right away. This may be because:

• Sometimes people with PTSD don't ask for help. One of the most common symptoms of PTSD is trying to avoid thinking about or talking about what has happened. If you have this symptom, it may make it hard to ask for help¹
• Even when people do ask for help, they may find it hard to talk about what they've been through. And doctors may have a hard time asking about events that have upset their patient. So they may not realize that their patient's symptoms started after a traumatic event^{1 4}
• Some of the symptoms of PTSD are similar to the symptoms of other mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety disorder.⁴ And many people who have PTSD also have another mental illness.¹ So it's important to tell your doctor if you went through a frightening event before you started having symptoms.

Treatment can help. So if you keep having symptoms and they're not getting better, keep asking for help.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.