Signs That You Might Have PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition some experience after going through a traumatizing event or experiencing abusive behavior. Days, months, or even years after the event we might begin experiencing flashbacks. It feels as if we are back in that experience. PTSD can be debilitating and hard to understand, but we can start to deal with it by first recognizing the signs.

Trauma Triggers

The common causes of PTSD are surviving war, a natural disaster, an accident, or being the victim of assault or abusive behavior. We might also experience PTSD from witnessing any of these events. Other common triggers for PTSD are going through a divorce, experiencing financial issues, losing a loved one, being the victim of bullying, or being in a toxic work environment for any length of time.

When we are in a life-threatening situation, our bodies prime us for response. This is the survival instinct, sometimes called the “fight or flight” response. Our nervous systems are flooded with hormones that enable us to face or escape the threat.

PTSD is a kind of delayed response; though we might be far from danger, our bodies are still charged with anxious energy as if ready to face an imminent threat. The same instinct that was meant to help us in a moment of trouble can be debilitating to experience in the form of PTSD.

Warning Signs of PTSD

You might be experiencing PTSD if you are regularly affected by any of the following symptoms:

Affected Moods

Perhaps you have never been prone to mood swings or angry outbursts, but now you find yourself feeling nervous, angry, and emotional regularly. This could be a sign that you are affected by a traumatic experience. Many people are dismissive of their emotions, especially if they are connected with a past event, but PTSD affects our emotions as much as it affects our bodies.

Avoidance and Escapism

PTSD often has us avoiding discussion or any mention of past events, particularly the ones that traumatized us. We might even avoid certain places, music, activities, or people that remind us of that event. Many people turn to substances or mind-numbing activities as a way of coping with the stress, all of which are avoidant or escapist behaviors.

Intrusive Memories

It’s common to have nightmares, flashbacks, and vivid memories of a traumatic event. These come out of the blue. No matter what we do to dispel them, they don’t go away. We might feel emotional and physical distress from these dreams and memories.

Changes in Behavior

Often, the first sign of PTSD is in a person’s behavior. Normally calm people might become nervous and jumpy, gentle people might become prone to violent outbursts, and clean-living people might start using substances. It might take some time for loved ones to notice this slow shift in behavior, but it will become apparent over time.

The Way Out of PTSD

PTSD is not a terminal condition. A person can find healing in a healthy support system from friends and family, therapy, and disciplines like journaling and physical health regimes. The first step in recovery from any struggle is acknowledging that you need help and reaching out.

It can be a difficult process to find a Christian counselor in Irvine, but our office can help. Contact us today at Irvine Christian Counseling in California and we will set up an appointment with a professional counselor in Irvine who can meet your needs. Begin your journey of healing today!