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Did you know that you can experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after you recover from a serious illness that led to a stay in the intensive care unit (ICU)? The frightening uncertainty and seeing your life hanging on a thread after a chronic diagnosis can make you live in fear of falling ill again. Read on to learn more about PTSD after recovery from severe illness.

What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

There are various ways you can respond to trauma when your body realises it’s no longer in danger. You might experience thoughts and feelings that trigger intense stress and anxiety, making it more challenging to move past an event that left you feeling powerless about the possible outcomes. However, you can’t be sure about having PTSD unless a mental health professional diagnoses it.

How Medical Trauma Can Affect You

It’s common for most people to associate PTSD with violent crimes, yet medical trauma is one of the most overlooked sources of this condition. Whether you survived a sudden heart attack, an intensive care unit (ICU) stay cancer treatment, stroke, or any illness that left you fearing for your life, your brain and nervous system can be affected by extreme stress. The reason is that during the illness, you were in survival mode, and once it passes and you process what you experienced, symptoms of PTSD are most likely to surface even if it’s been months after your diagnosis has been cleared.

Signs You May Have PTSD After Illness

PTSD related to medical trauma is often misdiagnosed or missed entirely until it’s too late. The focus shifts to how you can ensure your recovery goes well without being warned about potential side effects that may arise afterwards. Signs to look out for include:

• Intrusive memories of your time in hospital, surgery, or treatment.
• Panic attacks or body-based flashbacks triggered by smells, sounds, or settings (like clinics or white coats).
• Avoidance of anything related to healthcare, even necessary appointments.
• Hypervigilance of minor physical symptoms, scanning your body constantly for signs of illness.
• Emotional numbness or withdrawal from loved ones.
• Persistent anxiety, depression or feelings of unreality.
• Sleep disturbances, especially if you were on machines, monitors or ventilators.

How to Begin the Healing Process

1. Don’t Avoid What You’re Feeling

Avoiding what you are feeling may make it more challenging to overcome. It’s essential to acknowledge what you’re going through and speak up about your experience. If you suppress it, you might prolong your suffering.

2. Seek Professional Support

You can use your FREE-to-use iER App to send an alert when looking for a trauma-informed psychologist, counsellor or mental health practitioner nationwide. Various trauma-focused therapies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) have been shown to help people recover from PTSD, which involves medical trauma.

3. Slowly Reclaim Safe Spaces

If clinics, pharmacies or doctor’s rooms are triggering, try reintroducing these places gradually. It’s important to slowly reclaim spaces that haven’t felt safe after your illness. Over time, you can retrain your nervous system to feel safe again without forcing yourself, taking it step by step.

4. Take Back Control Where You Can

Part of what makes medical trauma so frightening is the sense of powerlessness. For instance, you may have been sedated, in pain, or unable to advocate for yourself while you were in the intensive care unit. Now that you’re recovering, small choices, such as what to eat, can make a significant difference in rebuilding your sense of urgency and regaining control.

Do Children Experience PTSD?

PTSD can also affect young people who have survived serious illness even though they may not be able to verbalise their fear. However, it can show in various ways, such as nightmares, clinginess, aggression, academic decline, or anxiety. If your child has been through a medical emergency or long-term illness, it’s worth checking in with a child psychologist, especially if behavioural changes persist.

Surviving a severe illness is only half the journey. If you’re struggling emotionally and psychologically, it means you are on your way to recovery, and you still need additional support to receive the proper treatment you need. Your FREE-to-use iER App provides immediate access to Social Services when you are ready to speak to a mental health professional who can offer the appropriate guidance.