6 Symptoms to Spot PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can be incredibly debilitating. It can be difficult to understand what is happening to your mind and body following a traumatic event and can cause many symptoms that make it impossible to live in the present moment. This article is not meant to substitute an evaluation or support of a professional, although it may help you recognize the common symptoms and make sense of some of the emotions and behaviors you or a loved one is experiencing. 

1. Significant Event 

The first marker of PTSD is that there has been a significant life-threatening event in which you directly experienced or were threatened by. This event could have happened directly to you, you witnessed it, you learned of it happening to a close family or friend, or were repeatedly exposed details of traumatic experiences happening to others. 

This “significant life threatening event” can range from actually fearing death, experiencing sexual violence, or created serious injury. This situation is life altering and causes you to think about life in a different way. Some examples include but are not limited to:

            - Being in combat or combat zone

            - Witnessing a shoot out

            - Hearing of a loved one trying to commit suicide or overdose

            - Being sexually assaulted

            - Witnessing a spouse cheating

            - Working as a first responder to traumatic events

            - Car accidents

2. Timing 

Post-Traumatic Stress is a normal reaction that our minds and bodies have to an abnormal situation. After the event occurs our minds try their best to make sense out of what just happened. As humans, we want to believe that we have a pretty good understanding of how the world around us operates but when something traumatic occurs, that doesn’t fit into how we already view the world, we are shook. At the time of the event our minds and bodies go into fight, flight, or freeze to protect us from danger.

After the event, our minds and bodies are left to figure out “what in the hell just happened?”, “how do I deal with this?”, and “how do I stop this situation from ever happening again?”. These questions are not always easy to answer and sometimes do not have an answer.  While trying to process this event we experience a wide range of symptoms that are discussed later in this post. 

The key to understand here is that the difference between Post Traumatic Stress and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is that these symptoms last longer than 30 days after the event and are causing issues in everyday life.

3. Nightmares and Flashbacks 

 Flashback and nightmares commonly occur following a traumatic event. Again, our minds and bodies are trying to make sense out of what just happened, so whether we are awake or asleep our brains are still fighting to understand. These nightmares can vary from replaying the event or have common themes regarding details of the event. 

Flashbacks and intrusive thoughts (unwanted repetitive thoughts) also may occur throughout the day. This can range from constantly thinking about the event to actually feeling that it is happening all over again. These flashbacks and thoughts can be extremely distracting and sometimes retraumatizing.

4. Avoidance 

 If you are struggling with Post Traumatic Stress, you may find yourself working hard to avoid people, places, things, or thoughts that cause you to think about the traumatic event. You may fear that being exposed to things that remind you of the event will cause even more distress, so as a way to protect yourself, you avoid coming in contact with these things. It can be helpful to notice the things that you are actively trying to avoid and begin to question whether or not they are still a real threat. 

5. You Are Not Feeling Like Yourself

After the event, you may notice that you just don’t feel like yourself anymore. You may feel distracted, anxious, constantly sad, detached or numb. It is common to start thinking of things in a black and white manner for example having thoughts such as, “the world is a dangerous place”, “I am a bad person”, “no one can be trusted”, or “I am ruined”.

Not only are these feelings having a negative impact on you but could also be having an impact on your relationships. You are not alone if you start feeling disconnected from the ones you love, unworthy of the relationships you have in your life, or leaving you wanting to isolate and be by yourself. These feelings can be a normal response to the trauma, although as mentioned before if they persist over 30 days it may be time to reach out for help. 

6. Feeling on Edge or Reactive

 Another symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress is feeling more on edge than normal. You may notice yourself getting annoyed more easily, feeling more aggressive, or more easily startled. These symptoms are a result of your body and mind trying to keep you safe. Your nervous system is on standby, feeling as if it may need to jump you back into fight, flight, or freeze. Unfortunately, this can be extremely distracting and uncomfortable. It can cause increased anxiety, trouble sleeping, and/or difficulty concentrating.

You may notice that you start seeking out ways to calm your mind and body. Often times when we don’t understand what is going on we turn towards calming tools that are destructive. Some of these common tools include:

            - Substance use

            - Reckless driving

            - Self harm/ cutting 

            - Engaging in physical fights

While these tools aren’t productive in the long run, they calm your mind and body in the short term. You are not bad for engaging in these things, but they are a warning sign that you need to find healthier ways to feel grounded and calm. 

Where to Go From Here?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can feel like it is stealing your life away. These symptoms mentioned in this post are red flags that your body is searching for a way to heal. They are normal responses to trauma but when they last an extended period of time it can alter your life in ways that you are not okay with. You are not alone in this and there is help out there for you. 

I hope this article was helpful in understanding some of the symptoms of PTSD. If you or a loved one is struggling with any of these things or questioning whether you may be dealing with PTSD, it could be a great time to reach out for help. There are amazing resources and treatment options to heal.

I’d like to be clear that this post is not intended as professional counseling or advice. If you are in need of support, please consider reaching out to a mental health professional.