LeafLine Clinic
(03) 7057 7217 Check Eligibility

PTSD symptoms

Compassionate support for post-traumatic stress symptoms

AHPRA-registered Clinicians
Australian-owned and operated
Telehealth nationwide
Your history is yours to share when you are ready. A consultation here is a calm, confidential space to do that.

What PTSD is

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing, witnessing, or hearing about a traumatic event. Those events include serious accidents, natural disasters, assault, and exposure to warfare.

Fear and distress after trauma are normal, and for most people they settle over the following weeks. Where they persist beyond a month and continue to interfere with daily life, PTSD may be present. About 12 in every 100 Australians will experience PTSD at some time in their lives.

Symptoms can appear immediately after the event, or emerge months and sometimes years later. A delayed onset is common and does not make the connection to the original trauma any less real.

Dawn light falling through a gauzy curtain onto a linen bed

The four symptom clusters

  • Re-experiencing: Flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive memories, and physical distress when something recalls the event.
  • Avoidance: Staying away from places, people, conversations and activities connected to the trauma.
  • Negative changes in thoughts and mood: Self-blame, emotional numbness, detachment from others, loss of interest, and gaps in memory of the event.
  • Increased alertness: Hypervigilance, an exaggerated startle response, irritability or anger, difficulty concentrating, and disrupted sleep.

Risk factors

Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD. The factors that raise the risk include harm that was deliberately inflicted, repeated or prolonged exposure to trauma, an existing mental health condition, limited support in the period after the event, and further significant stressors afterwards. Women are at higher risk than men.

Where to start in Australia

A general practitioner is the usual first point of contact, and a GP can prepare a mental health treatment plan, which gives Medicare-subsidised access to a psychologist. Healthdirect publishes plain-language information on PTSD and the support available. Veterans and current or former serving members and their families can contact Open Arms.

You are not required to give a detailed account of the traumatic event to be assessed. How much you say, and when, is yours to control.

What is done about PTSD, and by whom, is a conversation with the practitioner who assesses you. This page does not describe treatment, and it is not a substitute for that conversation.

Before you book

What a consultation covers

A structured review of your health with an AHPRA-registered Clinician, by video or telephone.

  1. Your history

    A consultation with a LeafLine Clinic Clinician is a structured review of your health. Your Clinician takes your history, including which symptoms are present, how long they have persisted, how they affect sleep and daily function, what has already been tried and what happened, your current medicines, and your other conditions.

  2. What you have already tried

    Your Clinician will discuss your concerns and review your previous treatments: what has been tried, what happened, and what you are taking now.

  3. The options

    Your Clinician explores appropriate management options based on clinical judgement and your individual circumstances. Specific treatment options can only be discussed and decided during a private consultation with a qualified Clinician.

  4. Whether this clinic is right for you

    Some people are not suitable for care through this clinic. A history of psychosis, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder is an exclusion here, and where that applies your Clinician will discuss where to go next.

When to seek medical support

Contact a health professional if symptoms persist beyond two weeks after a traumatic event, or at any point if they are affecting your safety, sleep, work or relationships. For mental health crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, available 24 hours. Veterans and current or former serving members can call Open Arms on 1800 011 046. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000.

Common questions

How common is PTSD in Australia?

About 12 in every 100 Australians will experience PTSD at some time in their lives. Women are at higher risk than men.

How long after a traumatic event can PTSD develop?

Distress in the weeks after trauma is a normal response. PTSD may be present where symptoms persist beyond a month and continue to interfere with daily life. Symptoms can also emerge months or years after the event, which is common and does not weaken the connection to the original trauma.

Do I have to describe the traumatic event to be assessed?

No. You control how much detail you give about the event itself, and when. An assessment centres on which symptoms are present, how long they have persisted and how they affect daily function.

Where do I start if I think I have PTSD?

A general practitioner is the usual first point of contact, and can prepare a mental health treatment plan for Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions. Healthdirect publishes plain-language information on PTSD. Veterans and current or former serving members and their families can contact Open Arms on 1800 011 046, and Lifeline is available on 13 11 14, 24 hours a day.

About this page

This page is general health information about a condition. It is not a description of any treatment, it is not medical advice, and it is not a substitute for an assessment by a qualified practitioner. Decisions about your care are made with your Clinician, in a consultation, based on your own history.

Last reviewed 7 September 2026. Written by Umar Khan, CEO.

Sources

Book a consultation

If you are experiencing PTSD symptoms, you can book a telehealth consultation with one of our AHPRA-registered Clinicians to discuss your symptoms and care options.

Am I Eligible? Or start with a free info call

AHPRA-registered Clinicians · Australian-owned and operated · Telehealth nationwide

Related areas of care

Check Eligibility Free 10-min call