I don't know if this will help, but I found in my own life that my PTSD had an acute phase at onset that lasted about three years. During that time I was in therapy weekly specifically for the PTSD. The therapist told me that about 2/3rds of all PTSD clients do recover but it can take anywhere from one to five years. After that, it's kind of like having a bad knee. It will flare now and then but you know what it is and do what you need to do to take care of yourself.

I found this to be accurate in my own case. The acute phase was pure misery and felt like it would never end. Flashbacks and nightmares were debilitating and seemed to make life impossible, but with weekly therapy it slowly got better. The flashbacks got farther and farther apart and now, 15 years later, I rarely have them, and when I do have them I tend to recognize it after an initial period of confusion and that in itself helps--just knowing I'm reacting to something old and telling myself I can handle it better now, it's not the same as then.

The bad thing, as several of you say here, is it's so expensive and it's a long haul. But the thing is, it's one of the more treatable mental illnesses so it's worth pushing to get the therapy and pushing to get through the therapy. I know it's not easy, especially in this economy and with insurance companies being so---well, you know.

All the best to all of you. Healing IS possible for most, it's just not nearly fast enough.