hey psych2goers
do you have suspicions that you are
suffering from ptsd but are not exactly
sure
maybe you're unsure if what you went
through qualifies as traumatic or
perhaps you have doubts as to whether
you have ptsd because you're still able
to go through your day and fulfill tasks
and responsibilities
perhaps you've seen cases of ptsd in
others and have thought that what you go
through is not as severe invalidating
your own feelings
so what is
ptsd ptsd or post-traumatic stress
disorder is a psychological condition
that can occur as a response to a
traumatic incident this includes threats
of death or harm such as war sexual
assault violence motor accidents natural
disasters or medical emergencies
ptsd can be experienced in different
forms and to various degrees
remember that feelings about your trauma
are always valid
with that said here are five signs of
high functioning ptsd
number one
extreme emotional reactions
trauma can lead to what is called hyper
vigilance do you often feel anxious
stressed out and on edge
you might feel as though you're
constantly on high alert as a result of
trauma that you've experienced do you
find that you get startled rather easily
and on top of that is your reaction to
being startled unusually intense even
violent at times
perhaps you feel particularly irritable
and are prone to outbursts of anger from
the strain of constantly feeling tense
and on edge
it's one thing to be cautious but have
you been overly conscious of your
surroundings and on the lookout for
potential threats to the point that
everyday life becomes a struggle trauma
can cause these feelings habits and
reactions as your fight or flight
response intensifies
number two
negative changes in thoughts and mood
have you noticed certain negative
changes in your thoughts and mood this
can occur in different forms you may be
struggling with reoccurring feelings of
fear horror anger or hopelessness
you might experience emotions similar to
depression
such as losing interest in activities
you once enjoyed or feeling unable to
experience joy and other positive
feelings
you might have also developed negative
thoughts about other people the world or
yourself
perhaps you've been feeling guilt and
shame
even though the traumatic incident is
not your fault you may have convinced
yourself that it is
number three
avoidance
trauma may leave you feeling vulnerable
on the edge and unsafe understandably so
which may then lead you to avoid and
withdraw from certain things in order to
feel safe or protect yourself
you might find yourself avoiding people
places conversations or situations that
remind you of the traumatic event
perhaps you've been going out of your
way to take different routes or cancel
plans with friends even though you may
have some desire to have a good time and
see people
you may back out of situations or get
away from certain people to avoid any
reminders of your trauma or perhaps
because you're feeling too overwhelmed
to socialize
additionally you may find yourself
avoiding some of your own thoughts
all in all the constant avoidance can be
exhausting and take a toll on your
mental health
number four physical problems
you may also experience physical
manifestations of your struggle with
trauma such as insomnia
have you been having trouble sleeping
perhaps your fears have been keeping you
up at night or you've been having
nightmares related to the trauma you
experienced
you may also experience certain physical
sensations when you're reminded of the
incident such as increased heart rate
sweating breathing difficulties or
feeling faint
often tied to anxiety these are signs
that you may be suffering from ptsd
and number five
reliving the trauma
you may have also been reliving the
traumatic incident
now if you've been having recurrent
memories of the event these may occur in
spite of you trying not to think about
it
as previously mentioned you might also
have nightmares in which you relive the
event or dream about circumstances
related to it
nightmares are also different from
flashbacks in which you might relive the
incident as if it were really happening
again
these are signs you might be suffering
from ptsd
ptsd symptoms can vary from case to case
in terms of severity and types of
experiences for a proper diagnosis
please do not hesitate to reach out to a
qualified mental health professional
living with trauma can be a daily
struggle
therapy and treatment from a qualified
professional can help
there is no guarantee that ptsd symptoms
will go away on their own or just lessen
with time
but there are resources that can help
people regain a good quality of life