Symptoms of PTSD

People respond to extreme trauma in a variety of ways and hence the symptoms Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) patients showcase also vary from one victim to the next. While some PTSD patients will display the symptoms a few weeks after the traumatic incident has taken place, others might not experience symptoms until months, or even years, have gone by.

Among the most common symptom experienced by PTSD patients are frequent flashbacks. Vivid memories of the trauma keep intruding and are usually accompanied by nightmares, hence leading to insomnia. PTSD patients also suffer from emotional blunting. They feel emotionally numb and empty. These feelings are also accompanied by high anxiety each time there is any reminder of the trauma such as its anniversary.

As a result, PTSD patients tend to avoid any and all occasions which can trigger the memory of the trauma. It is also not unheard of to see PTSD patients shying away from meeting with old friends or family members as such meetings too remind them of the traumatic ordeal they went through. Hence, PTSD patients tend to become very emotionally detached and find it hard to let people in. Additionally, PTSD patients have also been known to become very hyper-vigilant in the sense they are very aroused and jumpy. Occasionally, PTSD patients tend to blame themselves for whatever they went through. These intense feelings of guilt can do a lot of harm emotionally. It makes victims angrier and as a result they face considerable difficulty in caring for or trusting other people.

Alternatively, PTSD patients may also exhibit physical symptoms of anxiety. They may have frequent headaches, dizziness, and chest pains. Moreover, they may have problems with their immune system as well as a case of gastrointestinal distress.

All of these physical and emotional symptoms when looked at together show how serious PTSD is and why it is so important for a person who suffers from PTSD to accept the help of medical professionals as well as friends and family. Treatment for PTSD is available and primarily revolves around Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. What a PTSD patient must remember is that although they have been through great amounts of trauma, they have to go on leading their life. Things can’t remain at a standstill for ever. Although the road to getting past the trauma might be a long and difficult one, it is vital that victims make the effort otherwise pretty soon they will loose all sense of what life is as the trauma haunts everything they hold dear.