I think maybe some PTSD is prevented or mediated (maybe someone ends up with panic disorder or acute stress but not PTSD if caught early, for example). For post-combat situations mandatory counselling could at least potentially be a screening tool to identify those who need more help. Of course, there is a strong possibility that people know what the 'right answers' are, are afraid that being identifying as needing more help equals failure (career or personal or both) and that it doesn't get anywhere.

I'm remembering an episode of 21 Jump Street (80s American TV show with Johnny Depp filmed in Vancouver) where Johnny Depp's character (a police officer) witnessed an tried to intervene in an armed robbery and in the process his girlfriend was killed. The police had a policy of mandatory counselling - so he went. He insisted he was fine and 'passed' but we were shown footage of him watching the video of the robbery over and over and timing himself to see what he could do in the number of seconds he had to react to the robber. There was such stigma associated with not being okay, that he wouldn't admit to it, even though it was very obvious to the viewer that he had been profoundly affected.

For those of us with non-combat/non-work related trauma it's a little trickier. With abuse sometimes even identifying the trauma is really challenging and often filled with shame and there is no authority who could impose counselling.

For me, maybe if I'd sought help earlier I wouldn't have gotten as sick. I'm not sure. I imagine I might have a short very intense ride while dealing with what happened, but maybe not all the lingering effects I'm dealing with now. But, it's really hard to know.