While it is perfectly normal to experience stress and anxiety following a traumatic experience, if you have these disturbing feelings for more than a month, or if you feel like they are taking over your life, you should consider talking to a health care professional. The longer that you wait before seeking treatment, the worse your PTSD symptoms will tend to get.

In general, the sooner you reach out and talk to someone about your feelings regarding the traumatic incident, the better your outcome will be. Talking to someone after the trauma occurs but before you experience PTSD symptoms can help prevent PTSD from developing. Talking to a doctor or mental health professional when you first experience PTSD symptoms can help prevent them from getting worse. In all cases, the worst thing you can do is nothing.