If someone you care about has PTSD, help them get treatment. Please encourage them to avoid substances, including alcohol and drugs, which worsen the symptoms of PTSD.
People with PTSD avoid situations, places, thoughts and feelings that remind them of the trauma. This can lead to a narrowing of their life experiences and make them feel trapped.
Anxiety
An unexplained feeling of nervousness and fear that won’t go away is often general information about PTSD. This is especially true if it interferes with work and relationships. People with PTSD may also feel constantly alert and easily startled or have upsetting nightmares.
PTSD symptoms can appear months or even years after the traumatic event. They’re usually triggered by words, objects or situations that remind you of the trauma. Talk therapy can help you learn ways to cope and treat your anxiety. Medicine may be used as well to control your mood and sleep problems. Many people avoid seeking help for PTSD because they think it’s a sign of weakness, but getting treatment can improve your life.
Panic
If you experience a panic attack, a sudden, frightening feeling of terror that overwhelms your body and mind, it may be a sign of PTSD. Symptoms include a racing heartbeat, sweating and hypersensitivity to sounds or smells. You can also feel jumpy or easily startled and have trouble concentrating.
Many people with PTSD learn to manage their symptoms and have periods when they are less severe. But they may still have symptoms when they are under stress or if they run into reminders of the event, such as friends who live in the area where an accident happened or places where their military convoy was bombed. Avoiding people, things or situations because they trigger PTSD can worsen symptoms.
Dissociation
A common sign of PTSD is dissociation. This can include not remembering important aspects of the traumatic experience, having negative feelings like distrust or anger, being easily startled by certain sounds, smells, or sights, and losing interest in activities you used to enjoy.
If you or a friend are experiencing these symptoms, seeking treatment is important. The main treatments for PTSD are psychotherapy and medication. Psychotherapy can help you learn how to cope with your memories and emotions, work through guilt and mistrust, and replace distorted and irrational thoughts about the trauma. It can also help you deal with problems PTSD may cause in your family life.
Negative Thoughts and Feelings
Persistent negative thoughts and feelings, especially anger or guilt, are another common symptom of PTSD. People with PTSD may blame themselves for what happened or question why it occurred, like, “Why did this have to happen to me?”
Often, these feelings become overwhelming and interfere with your day-to-day life. If you have a lot of negative thoughts or feelings, talk to your doctor about getting help.
Sleep Problems
If you have trouble falling asleep, are easily startled or wake up frequently throughout the night, these symptoms can be a sign of PTSD. You might also have nightmares or unrefreshing sleep.
Some people avoid sleeping because they feel on guard to protect themselves from danger. This hyper-arousal can make it hard to fall asleep, and a person might keep the television on all night or not be comfortable in silence.
It is important to see a mental health professional if you are having problems with your sleep. Treatment options include psychotherapy (a type of counseling), medication and other techniques such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for PTSD.
Disconnection From Others
It’s common for people with PTSD to become isolated from family and friends. They may feel too uncomfortable talking about the trauma or avoid going to events where they know other people will be present.
They may avoid people, places or things that remind them of the traumatic event, and they may be easily startled and on edge, always expecting danger. They may also feel angry or irritable and have trouble trusting other people.
Psychotherapy can help people with PTSD recover. Group therapy can help by encouraging survivors of traumatic events to talk about their experiences in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. Some types of psychotherapy include prolonged exposure therapy, which helps people learn to manage their fear by slowly exposing them to situations that trigger anxiety in a controlled and safe way.
Emotional Numbing
When people with PTSD try to “numb” themselves by staying away from reminders of the trauma, they can start to feel very constricted in their daily lives. They may limit their activities and stop going out with friends. They might also begin to misuse alcohol or drugs, which can lead to more serious problems.
Symptoms of emotional numbness can be hard to notice because they can appear out of nowhere, especially when triggered by a memory or event. A mental health professional trained in trauma-informed care can help you safely uncover what’s causing your numbness.
If you have PTSD, consider seeking treatment for it. Talk therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral or exposure therapy, can help you get through your traumatic experiences and learn to manage them.
Guilt
Guilt is a normal part of the human experience, but it can also be a sign that you have PTSD. You may feel guilty that you survived the trauma while others didn’t, or you might think you caused it. This guilt can cause distress and interfere with daily life.
The guilt associated with PTSD can be hard to dismantle, as it’s often linked to feelings of regret, responsibility and shame. Fortunately, there are ways to help with this. These include finding a support group, practicing mindfulness meditation, and getting help from a therapist.