GUIDE: What is PTSD?

Coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) impacts a person’s everyday life and their closest relationships. Many people dealing with PTSD find the experience isolating; when it’s hard to explain the emotions you deal with daily, you turn inward and are left to fight the battle on your own.

In my two decades as a therapist, I’ve guided clients through the aftermath of many traumatic events, and their experience all holds a common theme– they struggle to express the complex emotions brought on by PTSD. In this article, I will provide insights into PTSD, exploring its definition, symptoms, triggers, and coping methods to help manage this complex disorder.

What is PTSD?

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises after an individual experiences a traumatic event, often involving a life-threatening situation or intense fear associated with a severe injury.

What causes PTSD?

The onset of PTSD is unique to each individual and may occur following a stressful, frightening, or distressing event, or after enduring prolonged trauma. Some of the situations that can trigger PTSD include:

• Combat and other military experiences
• Sexual or physical assault
• Child sexual or physical abuse
• Learning about the violent or accidental death or injury of a loved one
• Serious accidents, like a car wreck
• Natural disasters, like fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake
• Terrorist attacks

How does PTSD affect daily life?

Recognizing common signs and symptoms can assist individuals in expressing their PTSD feelings, helping loved ones understand and support them through unexpected emotions.

6 Things Someone With PTSD Might Say

“Sometimes I feel as if I’m listening to a faulty fire alarm, uncertain whether it’s signaling a real emergency or just a drill.”

Someone who says this may be experiencing Hyperarousal, a significant symptom of PTSD, which profoundly impacts every aspect of life. With the repeated activation of the fight-or-flight response, there’s a constant state of tension, leading to a continuous feeling of suspicion and panic. This can quickly evolve into paranoia and irritability, often accompanied by difficulty falling asleep. 

 

“Negative thoughts and emotions haunt me spontaneously.”

PTSD can affect overall mood and perspective, influencing interactions with others and taking away the ability to find joy in the simple pleasures of life.

 

“I feel emotionally detached and empty.”

To avoid being hurt again, individuals with PTSD may mentally and emotionally block out feelings, or disconnect entirely, from emotional responses such as joy and sadness. This leads to a sense of despondency and isolation, ultimately causing individuals to feel hopeless and unable to envision happiness.

 

“I feel as though I’m moving through life with a relentless shadow echoing the dark memories of my past.”

Oftentimes coming in the form of dreams or nightmares, individuals with PTSD may unexpectedly encounter intrusive memories or flashbacks linked to the traumatic event. Originating from personal experiences and echoing past fears, this experience is distressing, disruptive, and can have lasting effects on the mind and body.

 

“I try to avoid experiences that remind me of the event.”

Individuals experiencing PTSD might avoid situations, places, or activities that trigger memories or flashbacks of the traumatic event. This can restrict their ability to participate in social, work, or recreational activities.

 

“I get nightmares throughout the night.”
Research conducted at the National Institutes of Health has documented a notable connection between sleep disturbances and PTSD. Approximately 80-90% of individuals with PTSD experience symptoms of insomnia, and 50-70% experience nightmares more than five times a week. Other sleep disorders such as disordered breathing, periodic leg movement disorders, and other parasomnias can also be revealed leaving those with PTSD feeling fatigued, irritable, and struggling to concentrate during the day.

 

“I’m always stressed and anxious.”
With unexpected feelings of negativity consistently surfacing in interactions and life events, chronic stress is not uncommon. This can contribute to various physical health issues including headaches, sweating, heart palpitations, anxiety, panic, gastrointestinal problems, and increased susceptibility to illnesses.

PTSD Misconceptions