Common Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health condition triggered by either witnessing or experiencing a terrifying event. Symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety are a normal reaction to such an experience and may start anywhere from immediately following the traumatic event to weeks, months, or even years later.

Not everyone who experiences these symptoms, however, goes on to develop PTSD. It depends on how the individual personally experiences the event. Some people are able to gradually come to terms with what happened, and their symptoms start to fade over time. For others, this is not the case.

People who do develop PTSD tend to have symptoms which last longer and are more intense. Left untreated, PTSD can disrupt and negatively impact all aspects of a person’s life, causing problems at work and in relationships, and interfering with one’s ability to function in day-to-day living.

Common events that can lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms

• Life threatening events such as combat exposure, terrorist attacks, or torture.
• Natural disasters.
• Accidents.
• A serious illness or hospitalization.
• Threatened or actual physical abuse or sexual assault.
• Being mugged.
• Seeing something upsetting on the news or social media.
• Seeing another person hurt or seriously injured.
• Seeing a dead body.
• Learning about a traumatic event that happened to a friend or loved one.
• Work related exposure to trauma such as through being a first responder, firefighter, or police officer.

PTSD symptoms

The intensity and frequency of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms can vary over time and are typically grouped into four types. They include re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms, changes in mood and thinking, and changes in physical and emotional reactions.

Re-experiencing symptoms

• Recurring, intrusive memories of the traumatic event.
• Vivid flashbacks of the traumatic event that feel as though one is reliving the experience.
• Frightening dreams and nightmares about the traumatic event.
• Triggers such as sights, sounds, or smells that remind the person of the traumatic event causing intense physical or emotional distress .
• Inability to stop thinking about what happened .
• Physical sensations such as headaches, stomach aches, nausea, chest pains, palpitations, chills, dizziness, sweating, or panic attacks.

Avoidance symptoms

• Trying to avoid thinking about the traumatic event.
• Resistance to conversations or questions about what happened.
• Going out of the way to avoid people, places, activities, circumstances, or anything that is a reminder of the traumatic event.
• Attempting to numb oneself with distractions or by using drugs or alcohol.
• Isolating from people.

Changes in mood and thinking

• Feeling emotionally numb.
• Feeling detached from friends and loved ones.
• Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities.
• Memory lapses and inability to remember important aspects of the trauma.
• Trouble experiencing positive emotions such as happiness or joy.
• Difficulty trusting people.
• Feeling hopeless about the future.
• Difficulty concentrating or staying focused.
• Depression.
• Distorted negative thoughts about oneself, others, or the world.
• Thoughts of suicide.
• Mood swings.

Changes in physical and emotional reactions

• Always being on guard and hyper alert to danger.
• Reacting before thinking when faced with a trigger .
• Startling easily.
• Episodes of panic in response to triggers that remind one of the traumatic event.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Persistent distorted feelings of guilt or shame, as well as blaming oneself for causing the traumatic event or for its consequences.
• Irritability and angry outbursts.
• Self destructive or reckless behavior such as misuse of drugs or alcohol, or reckless driving.

If you have been struggling with any of these Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms and they are causing significant distress, consider counseling. You do not have to struggle alone. A trained mental health professional can diagnose whether you have PTSD, help you understand what you are experiencing, and equip you with tools and techniques for coping with it.

If you have questions and would like to learn more about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and how we can help you, please give us a call at California Christian Counseling to set up an appointment with one of the faith-based counselors in our online directory.