I cannot speak from experience as to the benefits of receiving treatment soon after the trauma. Unfortunately, a doctor told my parents that I would forget the chronic abuse and the assault in time (pretty sad what this doctor robbed me of in light of studies affirming PTSDisorder).

So, I did NOT receive help and developed the disorder.

CS

The key word of the question that made me lean towards "no" was the word "forced." Anyone forced into counseling after a trauma is in a different mindset than someone who willingly and desirably chooses to get help after trauma. Someone forced will most likely enter into counseling with a negative and resistant mindset and won't be as receptive to the help.

I believe if I had received loving support and help after my trauma, and then encouraged to get counseling and supported during that time, the outcome might have been different for me. I can't say that I never would have developed PTSD, but maybe it wouldn't be as severe if I'd had support?

I know there are risk factors that can make some more susceptible to PTSD after a trauma than others, so who's to say that someone who received counseling immediately after a trauma and didn't develop PTSD was ever going to? Hard to say.

I had delayed onset PTSD, where my trauma happened during childhood, was compartmentalized for 15 years, and then triggered during the traumatic birth of my second daughter. So I'm 36, and have now been dealing with severe PTSD symptoms of my childhood trauma for the last five years. I never had symptoms following the trauma, and WAS forced into counseling at 14 years of age (and though they were full of sh--), and one psychologist in particular traumatized me even more so that didn't help!

So long story short (I know, too late), I guess I don't think it's preventable. If you're going to get it, you're going to get it, but hopefully you allow yourself to get help right away.

Take two groups of people. In both groups have them chose "A"s & "B"s. Have equal of both in both groups.

Now have the A's in both groups clinch a fist. Have the B's in group 1 try their hardest to make the A's open their fist. Try hard, physically, in any manner possible to force them to open their hands.

Now have in group 2 the B's try by more peaceful means to talk the A's into opening their fists.

In every case this experiment is tried you will find that a peaceful means is far more acceptable and successful.

Such as is with counseling. Right now I'm in forced counseling. And exactly how successful is that? It's not. It's making my stress level far worse than before. The road trip to see him is physically painful. The work I have to do to afford paying him, is physically painful and emotionally draining. How successful is that supposed to be?

Only thing forced counseling (in my case) succeeds in doing is creating anger, and hatred. The longer it goes on the worse it gets. When I cannot get more than maybe on a good day 6 hours of sleep because of the pain, what kind of an ally am I?

no, because of the word forced.
And possibly no also if the psychologist and the patient did not "fit" well.

I personally believe that the PTSD begins during the adrenolin rush of the trauma, when the brain and body are just trying to survive. Adrenolin or some other brain chemical overload.

Counseling even one hour after that trauma can reduce PTSD, but not eliminate it or prevent it.

Apparently I blocked out the word "forced". And how that happened, who knows because it's quite a "forceful" word!

So in light of this, I would change my answer. I was putting too much assumption into my previous answer. In studied regarding the treatment of PTSD, two factors need to be established at the gitgo: 1) validation for how you feel, and 2) control (over therapy, pace of therapy, etc... It is supposed to be a co-creative process between therapist & client.

The very nature of PTSD would harbor resentment towards being "forced" to do ANYTHING outside of your control since it's very likely that WHAT CAUSED the PTSD was out of your control as well. So, no. Above all else, forcing someone into therapy could very likely Cause the disorder of which the therapy portends to avoid in the first place!

CS

I think the counseling you are talking about is commonly referred to as "debriefing". I feel that if debriefed properly one's chances of having PTSD is a lot less than without it.

Anthony- I said No because of the wording of the question. To force us to get help is a mistake. I instituted a stress debriefing after each incident with strict privacy rules. I started by admitting how I felt or simply said "Holy shit that was wild, I was scared but we all made it okay." That tended to open up a conversation because if the Lt. felt it, it's ok to talk. We talked, bonded, cried, laughed and supported. Problem was when it came to the real deal with me everyone thought (much like I did) that nothing could harm the Lt., he always comes out on top. Not! I was never debiefed so it festered.