# Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

## How to spot the signs of PTSD

by Andrea M. Darcy

[Reviewed by Dr Sheri Jacobson](/content/about/index.html)

Perhaps you've read about soldiers having PTSD.

_But it's important to know that anyone, not just people who went to war, can end up with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Even children._

## What is PTSD?

**It's normal to feel shaken after a difficult experience.** You might take time off work, or [not go out socially](/content/blog/posts/i-hate-parties-do-i-have-social-anxiety/index.html), as you struggle to process what you went through. But eventually, after a few weeks or a month, you start to get back to your regular routine.

_But for some people, the stressful thing they experience or witness is so overwhelming and beyond their comprehension, and leaves them feeling so helpless, that they don’t bounce back_ **.**

**Instead, you develop persistent physical and emotional symptoms** that make normal daily life a challenge.

## Common causes of PTSD

- working as a soldier or in emergency services
- experiencing or witnessing violence, assault, or crime
- being in a serious accident
- living through a natural disaster, terrorism, or war
- being held hostage
- struggling with severe illness, or witnessing someone have a severe injury or die
- a childhood that included [sexual abuse](/content/blog/posts/were-you-sexually-abused-as-a-child/index.html), severe neglect, and/or violence.

## Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms

PTSD symptoms are often grouped into areas, such as re-experiencing, avoidance and numbing, hyperarousal, thought and mood changes, and ‘other problems’.

**'Re-experiencing’** can look like:

- flashbacks
- nightmares
- memories you can’t control
- fear of going back to the ‘scene of the crime’
- feeling in danger all of the time
- having physical reactions of fear around anything that reminds you of the event.

**'Hyperarousal'** means symptoms such as:

- always feeling on edge
- jumping at noises
- snapping at others
- your [concentration being all over the place](/content/blog/posts/can-t-stay-focused-9-reasons-why/index.html)
- [suffering insomnia](/content/blog/posts/can-therapy-help-you-sleep/index.html)
- cycles of buzzy, high energy then crashing lows.

**'Avoidance and numbing'** involves:

- not going anywhere that reminds you of the trauma
- social withdrawal
- trying to be so busy there is not time to think
- using [alcohol](/content/blog/posts/12-signs-of-alcohol-abuse/index.html), drugs, overeating, etc to numb thoughts and feelings
- Using self-harm techniques to numb emotions.

**'Thought and mood changes'** include:

- [anxiety](/content/blog/posts/7-signs-your-anxiety-is-out-of-control/index.html) and [high levels of stress](/content/blog/posts/is-stress-really-a-big-deal/index.html)
- [depression](/content/blog/posts/what-type-of-depression-do-you-have/index.html) (or a worsening of the depression you already had)
- foggy thinking
- feeling emotional.

**'Other problems' can include many physical things**, such as:

- muscle tension (jaw, shoulders, neck…)
- headaches
- stomach issues
- dizziness, feeling weak
- constant colds and flus
- unexplained aches and pains.

## What do I do if I think I have PTSD?

**Post-traumatic stress disorder can hold you back in all areas of life.** You might find that you [struggle in relationships](/content/blog/posts/are-abandonment-issues-ruining-your-relationships/index.html), aren't living up to your potential at work, and feel awkward socially.

**And it tends not to go away without treatment.** Some people struggle for years, or even all of their adult life, living a half-life of just getting by.

**On a good note, there are treatments that can help.** Eye-movement desensitisation and reprogramming (EMDR) is a technique therapists use very effectively for PTSD caused by one event. And [cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)](/content/blog/posts/should-you-try-cbt-therapy/index.html) is also shown to help, even in cases of 'complex PTSD', which is post-traumatic stress disorder caused by repetitive trauma such as child abuse.

**_Want to talk to someone who understands? Use your_** [**_easy booking tool_**](/content/therapists/index.html) **_to find a_** [**_therapist who deals with PTSD symptoms_**](/content/therapists/index.html) **_and start moving towards feeling better._**