The point raised is a fair one and the taboo will remain to exsist.
If you want to help a friend, a family member or a colleague it will have to start with recognition as the person suffering in many cases will be the last to admit anything is wrong.
PTSD
Definition
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a kind of anxiety disorder. It can occur after you've seen or experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death.
Causes
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may occur soon after a major trauma, or it can be delayed for more than six months after the event. When it occurs soon after the trauma, it usually gets better after 3 months. However, some people have a longer-term form of PTSD, which can last for many years.
We do not know what causes PTSD, but psychological, genetic, physical, and social factors are involved. PTSD changes the body’s response to stress by affecting stress hormones and chemicals that carry information between the nerves (neurotransmitters). Having been exposed to trauma in the past may increase the risk of PTSD.
Having good social support helps to protect against PTSD. In studies of Vietnam veterans, those with strong support systems were less likely to get PTSD than those without social support.
People with PTSD re-experience the event again and again in at least one of several ways. They may have frightening dreams and memories of the event, feel as though they are going through the experience again (flashbacks), or become very upset during anniversaries of the event.
Symptoms
Symptoms of PTSD fall into three main categories:
1. Repeated "reliving" of the event, which disturbs day-to-day activity
- Recurrent distressing memories of the event
- Repeated dreams of the event
- Flashback episodes, where the event seems to be happening again and again
- Physical reactions to situations that remind you of the traumatic event
2. Avoidance
- Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma
- Lack of interest in normal activities
- Feelings of detachment
- Sense of having no future
- Emotional "numbing", or feeling as though you don’t care about anything
- Less expression of moods
- Staying away from places, people, or objects that remind you of the event
3. Arousal
- Irritability or outbursts of anger
- Sleeping difficulties
- Difficulty concentrating
- Exaggerated response to things that startle you
- Excess awareness (hypervigilance)
You also might feel a sense of guilt about the event (including "survivor guilt"), and the following symptoms, which are typical of anxiety, stress and tension.:
- Paleness
- Feeling your heart beat in your chest (palpitations)
- Headache
- Fever
- Fainting
- Dizziness
- Aggitation, or excitability upset during anniversaries of the event.
Treatment
Treatment aims to reduce symptoms by encouraging you to recall the event, express your feelings, and gain some sense of control over the experience. In some cases, expressing grief helps to complete the necessary mourning process. Support groups, where people who have had similar experiences can share their feelings, are very helpful.
People with PTSD may need to treat depression, alcohol or substance abuse, or related medical conditions before addressing symptoms of PTSD. Behavioral therapy is used to treat avoidance symptoms. This can include being exposed to the object that triggers your symptoms until you become used to it and no longer avoid it (called graded exposure and flooding).
Medicines that act on the nervous system can help reduce anxiety and other symptoms of PTSD. Antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac), can be effective in treating PTSD. A doctor should monitor you if you take these drugs, because they can have side effects. Sedatives can help with sleep disturbance. Antianxiety medicines may be useful, but some types, such as benzodiazepines, can be addictive.
I think this sort of sums it up, to go short: recognize and be a friend, if it concerns yourself: don't hide away from friends and family but as for their support.