What Are the 5 Stages of PTSD?

• Emergency Stage

The time period directly after a traumatic event is called the emergency stage. During this stage, you may experience shock.

• Denial Stage

The denial stage of PTSD can last a long time but needs to be overcome to heal from the traumatic event. People in the denial stage need a compassionate support system to get through the stress, anxiety, and heavy emotions associated with the event.

• Rescue Stage

During the rescue stage, the affected individual will come to terms with what happened and reach out for help. Acknowledging what happened can cause emotional distress that can be worked through in therapy and support groups.

• Short-term Recovery Stage

In short-term recovery, you will enter the recovery and healing stage. You will start to reach further levels of acceptance about what happened to you and start to feel more positive about life again.

• Long-term Recovery Stage

The last stage of PTSD is long-term recovery. This stage is reached when you have a deep understanding of what happened and have gained the coping mechanisms needed to address your symptoms.