17/12/2025
FYI
Most people who experience a traumatic event do not go on to have PTSD.
However, surving traumatic events is very painful, and I would say that many in Australia are currently in grief, though clearly those who were present in Bondi or are Jewish are struggling more.
Grief is made up of several emotions going around and around, typically reducing in Intensity as time passes: Numbness, shock, disbelief, sadness, crying, anger, being ok, not being ok, thinking of alternate scenarios where the outcome could have been different, numbness again, anger again and on and on. This process is very painful. But it’s normal. It Is your healthy mind and body trying to make sense of what’s happened.
With time, love, patience, self-kindness and resumption of routine, most people get better.
They will always be sad when they think about It, and their life may never be the same, but they are mostly ok. Most people DO NOT develop PTSD.
People who survive a disaster typically take 3 years to seek professional help, and that’s ok. It happens when they have exhausted their own resources.
If you are affected, be kind to yourself, and be kind to each other.