Scene begins with man in military uniform climbing a hill, he stops and aims with a gun.

He pulls the trigger and explosions are seen in the background. Texts over-Thousands of
people are. Scene changes to same man, refusing food being given to him. Texts over-
diagnosed with PTSD, Scene changes to a woman crying over a dead body using high angle
shots and dim lighting. Texts over- every year. Scene changes to the same woman looking
out a window while fidgeting with her hair.
HOST: PTSD is a serious condition which occurs throughout the world, my name is
__________ from Blue Stars. We are an organization which provides care and support for
anyone who suffers from PTSD. So what is PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder is a
psychiatric disorder that results in a set of mental health reactions, which can occur after a
person has been through a traumatic event.
HOST: Causes such as Military combat, Physical or sexual assaults, childhood neglect,
serious accidents and other events can trigger PTSD. Recently we met with a long time
sufferer of PTSD who has now finally overcome his disease. Lets see how it went.
Scene changes to Host sitting on a chair inside a house.
Host: So Mr Bryan, thank you for sharing the inside story of this dreadful disease. What
triggered this?
Mr Bryan: [Fidgeting] Well, being a post-war veteran has had its cost on my mental frame of
life, and after seeing the explosions, crossfire, dead bodies, I found myself in an unstable,
distressed state. At first I thought it would pass, and that it was a normal reaction to the
trauma of war, but my condition worsened to the point when I could barely eat and was
feeling scared and stressed, and I remember considering suiciding. Being at the war was
what definitely triggered PTSD in me, but I also know that my Grandfather suffered from it
as well, and so I was at a higher chance of developing it due to genetics.
Host: Ah yes- youre correct in saying that a cause of PTSD is genetics. Anything else that
may have caused it?
Mr Bryan: Well yes actually. During my early child-hood I had many emotional problems
within my family. I was a neglected child and my parents always fought. [Insert flashback of
Mr Bryan as a neglected child in the corner while his parents fight]
Host: Oh dear
Mr Bryan: [Grunting] I feel that this exposure to stress at my young age has been a
contributing factor to my development of the disease.
Host: Yes, yes thats a very valid cause of the disease. So basically, there are many causes of
the disease, including military combat, terrorist incidents, natural disasters, physical or
sexual abuse-
Mr Bryan: - Sudden death of loved ones and Id say many more.
Host: I understand. So please explain to us the effects of Post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mr Bryan: Well, I would always feel scared and hopeless. Everything around me felt strange
and distant. Almost as if I did not belong to this world. Every small sound I would jump at. I
went through a phase of substance abuse, I couldnt connect with my friends and family,
there were financial tensions I just I just felt like a different person But it slowly started
to leave as I adjusted to the world.
Host: Sounds horrible I am truly sorry for you, and I assume that this also negatively affected
your community too.
Mr Bryan: Most definitely. After all, sometimes through the most intense periods of stress
my actions were sometimes uncontrolled [Puts face in hands and voice trails off]
Host: [Getting up] Well thank you for giving us your time Mr Bryan.
Scene changes back to host setting
Host: So as you have seen symptoms of PTSD are quite frightening and can arrive gradually
or suddenly overcome a victim. There are 3 main types of symptoms: Re-experiencing the
traumatic event, avoiding reminders of the trauma and Increased anxiety and emotional
arousal. Re-experiencing the traumatic event relates to nightmares, flashbacks, intense
physical reactions, etc.
Avoiding traumatic events means loss of interest in life and avoiding events and places.
Some symptoms of increased anxiety would be constantly staying alert and difficulty of
sleeping.
Host: But luckily there are ways to treat this mental disease. Early treatment is one of the
best treatments. This allows from the disease spreading any further through the mind.
Medication can also be prescribed to decrease anxiety and depression. Antidepressants
such as Prozac and Zoloft are the medications most commonly used for PTSD. Therapy both
family and medicinal is one of the best treatments available for sufferers of PTSD.
Organizations such as beyond blue specialise in these fields and information and treatment
can be sought from them.
Host: So thank you for listening to us, if you wish to donate or gain information call 1300 no-
depress, Goodnight.