Half the sample was 'debriefed', where counsellors make them relive their ordeal within 48 hours of the incident. The remainder were left to cope without the help of a counsellor. The participants were interviewed at regular intervals until six months after their ordeal. After six months a small proportion did have post-traumatic stress disorder, but whether they had been debriefed or not did not make any difference. The debate over counselling spiralled in the wake of the Lockerbie and Dunblane disasters.
Most people have pretty powerful coping mechanisms and do pretty well on their own.
Professional help may interfere with the natural process of healing. If you are good at blocking things out, good at forgetting what's happened to you then you should be left well alone. Post-traumatic stress disorder has been around for centuries, though it has not always been recognised as a medical condition. It is also known as shell-shock or battle fatigue and can affect anyone who has suffered a major psychological trauma. PTSD develops weeks after an event and is characterised by mental numbness.