The symptoms and treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder may be difficult to pinpoint, but one area man knows a few things that can help.

Timothy Lang, former military psychologist and Psy. D./LP for Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin, said there are many different reasons for how long and severe people’s PTSD can last. After four years helping treat PTSD in the military and helping PTSD victims at MCHS-Austin for 11 years, he’s seen some guidelines.

Fundamental factors like experiencing severe traumatic events, proximity to them, duration exposed to them and a history of mental health are key factors to look at, Lang told guests at his Tuesday night presentation to guests at Ellis Middle School. One key sign is someone who has been unable to cope with a traumatic event for more than one month. Lang said a person such as this may experience some long-term effects. However, the equation is more difficult than that.

Everybody has a different threshold for traumatic events, and some people are unable to seek help for PTSD, as they experience bouts of guilt, denial and self-bargaining, Lang said. Many may not want to seek help because they don’t want to be embarrassed or reminded of their trauma, or they experience extreme cases of avoidance. Sometimes military veterans won’t watch military events on television or look at combat pictures.

“Maybe someone will stop watching TV altogether because it’s too big of a risk for them,” he said.

Though research is discovering more about PTSD, many servicemen and women in the past have gone without treatment because they could’ve been removed from the military.

“Being a military veteran, we’re taught to suck it up and forget about it,” said Norm Hecimovich, chairman of the Veterans Committee in Austin.

Because any traumatic event can trigger PTSD — not just combat — Lang explained why victims should seek help right away. Within 72 hours of a traumatic event, traumatized people seem to recover better if they receive critical incident stress debriefing from trained professionals.

Lang also noted people who know others with PTSD can help by being compassionate, reflecting with their own feelings and focusing on the symptoms.