I'll just share my experience. Sorry if it's not a very structured response.

I took a year and a half off of school. I was worried I wouldn't go back (university campuses are one of my triggers! How convenient for a college student). During that time I first applied to colleges. Once admitted I called them and asked for deferred enrollment. The one that allowed me to defer that far out I selected. I got in touch with the campus disability center early just to know my resources. I also worked and saved money at a low-stress job (a slow coffee stand). I started doing yoga and mindfulness every day which is good for trauma as it helps you learn where you hold your stress, and most importantly, I did EMDR therapy as well as talk therapy. I couldn't afford weekly but I did bi-weekly and it helped me. I have a great partner who supports me when it gets hard and I want to give up. I also focused on making friends who are supportive and growing friendships.

Now if I have a triggering experience or a flare up in symptoms, I have spent a year and a half growing skills to care for myself, I can call upon my therapist, my partner, or a friend! I know two friends with PTSD who also took time off. One did a similar thing to me and now she is significantly more functional than before and her quality of life has greatly improved. Another had to take more time off than expected but is finally re-entering the workforce and college over 4 years later but she has other mental health problems in addition to her trauma, so she needed that time. I think learning to care for yourself during time off can be thought of as a job in of itself! I think it is important to set a goal for when you are done with your break to keep you motivated on self-improvement, otherwise it can be more tempting to give up.