What is PTSD? Common Trauma Symptoms
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health condition that people may develop after being exposed to life-threatening or horrific experiences. You may have heard of veterans having PTSD after combat, but PTSD can also occur for survivors of many types of traumatic experiences, like abuse or intimate partner violence, sexual assault, community and gun violence, childhood abuse, a scary and dangerous birthing experience, car accidents, medical trauma, natural disasters, witnessing severe harm to a loved one, or learning about a traumatic death.
There are 4 categories of PTSD or trauma symptoms that people may develop after experiencing a traumatic event:
Intrusive memories about the trauma: includes thoughts and memories about the trauma that come up when you don’t want them to, no matter how much you try to stop thinking about it. Examples: flashbacks or reliving the scary moment, nightmares, feeling really overwhelmed when you’re reminded about the event, even physical sensations (heart pounding, sweating) when reminded about the event.
Negative mood and thoughts: includes changes in your mood and thinking that may reflect feelings of shame, guilt, and fear. This tends to sound like a lot of self-blaming thoughts for the event (“It was all my fault”) and can look like depression and isolation. Examples: negative beliefs that may keep you stuck (“I’m damaged”, “No one will ever love me”, “The world is dangerous”, “I can’t trust anyone”), difficulty feeling joy or happiness, feeling lonely, and losing interest in things.
Changes in reactivity: includes the ways your body keeps trying to protect you by remaining on high alert. Examples: hypervigilance, feeling on edge, easily startled, sleeping difficulties, difficulty concentrating, irritability or angry outbursts. Sometimes this may look more like a “dissociation” response– shutting down, feeling out of your body, losing your sense of self, and not being fully present.
Avoidance of trauma reminders: includes avoiding specific people, places, or conversations related to what happened, as well as avoiding any thoughts or feelings about the trauma. This may look like doing whatever it takes to try and “forget”– numbing yourself with alcohol or drugs, never leaving the house, going out of your way to avoid a place, even turning your entire focus on something else like disordered eating or gambling. This symptom makes a lot of sense– no one wants to think about an awful, terrible thing that happened.
PTSD is not a character flaw and does not mean something is wrong with you. Experiencing PTSD is a sign that something terrifying happened to you. These PTSD symptoms are common reactions to an abnormal experience, one that no person should have to go through. If you are feeling stuck with any of these symptoms, working with a trauma-informed professional for PTSD treatment can help you heal and find relief from these symptoms.
There is hope– you do not have to try and “get past it” alone. Reach out if you would like more information on how Sapphire Blooms Counseling can help you with PTSD.
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