What Are Some Symptoms of PTSD?
- recurrent and upsetting memories about the trauma
- flashbacks, feelings of reliving the traumatic event
- nightmares about the trauma
- avoidance of reminders of the traumatic event, including places, people, activities, thoughts, feelings, and conversations
- difficulty remembering important aspects of the trauma
- difficulty concentrating
- irritability or angry outbursts
- difficulty sleeping
- being easily startled
- feelings of emotional numbness
- less interest in usual activities
- guilt about others who were hurt or died during the trauma
- feelings of distance from other people or inability to show affection and love
Even if you have one or even a few of these symptoms, you do not necessarily have PTSD. Not everyone who experiences a trauma will develop PTSD.
Among those who do develop PTSD, symptoms vary in severity and impact, but center on three areas:
Re-experiencing the traumatic event : flashbacks, nightmares,
Avoidance : emotional numbing, dissociation,- Increased state of readiness : irritability, incomnia, hyper-vigilance.