5 Misconceptions br About PTSD Although about 8 million adults have PTSD in a given year, there are many myths floating around. Here are 5 major misconceptions about post-traumatic stress disorder. 1. PTSD only affects people in the military 2. You can't live normally with PTSD 3. A person who appears happy has fully recovered 4. PTSD happens directly after the traumatic event. 5.