Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Traumatic events tend to be sudden and unpredictable, involve a threat, and feel beyond a person’s control. Most important, events are traumatic to the degree that they undermine a person’s sense of safety in the world and create a sense that catastrophe could strike at any time.
It is normal to have upsetting memories, feel on edge, or not feel safe after this type of event. But if symptoms such as the ones listed below last longer than a few months and cause significant problems in various aspects of the person’s life, it may be time to talk with someone to help build resiliency, develop effective coping skills, and work on self-efficacy.
Symptoms are grouped into four areas:
- Intrusive memories
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Avoidance
- Avoiding situations that one might associate with the traumatic event
- Living in defense mode:
- Relationships might be impacted
- Negative changes in thinking and mood
- Severe anxiety/depression symptoms
- Survivor’s guilt
- Inability to feel pleasure
- Low self worth
- Changes in physical and emotional reactions
- Heightened responses
- Easily startled
- Extremely vigilant to the possibility of threat