PTSD | Trauma
3 Signs You Could Have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Did That Event Change You? Discover If It’s Hidden PTSD
When something bad, dangerous, upsetting, shocking unexpected, and extremely damaging happens to you, it can make your mind wonder why that happened to you. Your world’s reality changes immediately. It also changes the way you perceive the world.
Such situations force us to behave and think in ways that we never wanted to do. Our brains take lots of time to process events and situations. Such events can trigger trauma in us. And in some cases, it can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“The conflict between the will to deny horrible events and the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic of psychological trauma.”
― Judith Lewis Herman, Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence — From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror
According to the National Institute of Mental Health Surveys, almost 3.6% of U.S. adults had (PTSD) in the year between 2001–2003. The PTSD cases in the Females were (5.2%) than for males (1.8%). Women have higher chances of PTSD due to socioeconomic problems such as lack of money, joblessness, lack of opportunities, lack of skills, lack of education, and lack of self-worth.
There are other reasons like females who have been raped have a 50% chance of developing PTSD. Other cases like physical assault, serious accidents, shooting and stabbing, unexpected death of loved one, domestic violence, Witnessing murder, and people who experience natural disasters develop PTSD.
“Trauma is personal. It does not disappear if it is not validated. When it is ignored or invalidated the silent screams continue internally heard only by the one held captive. When someone enters the pain and hears the screams healing can begin.”
― Danielle Bernock, Emerging With Wings: A True Story of Lies, Pain, And The LOVE that Heals
If you have experienced any one of the above events then there are more likely that you have PTSD. PTSD can lead to suicide, depression, and substance abuse.
PTSD completely changes a person’s personality. Such bad memories of painful experiences change our brain structures. If you have ever had such a bad experience and still wondering whether you have trauma or PTSD, then this article is for you.
1. You Frequently Show Risky Behavior
People with PTSD struggle a lot to create meaning in their lives. At some points, they start thinking that the world is evil because they have seen the worst things in their life. They also start thinking that life is meaningless.
“When we feel weak, we drop our heads on the shoulders of others. Don’t get mad when someone does that. Be honored. For that person trusted you enough to, even if subtly, ask you for help.”
― Lori Goodwin
Therefore, if you have PTSD then you can start doing risky things in your life just to get rid of these traumatic thoughts and hurtful memories. You completely become rebellious. You are unable to find interest in doing normal and daily routine activities.
Therefore, your minds keep looking for a thrill in life because you just want to get rid of these disturbing experiences and emotions. You can also get involved in substance abuse, reckless driving, and gambling. Your family members feel unsafe with you. You are looking for an adrenaline rush just to feel alive.
“PTSD is a whole-body tragedy, an integral human event of enormous proportions with massive repercussions.”
― Susan Pease Banitt
2. You Are Hyperarousal
Your mind starts living in a constant state of “fight or flight” because your mind is constantly looking for a surge of thrill, and excitement to keep it active all the time. Your brain will become highly alert.
You can become angry and irritable easily. You are more likely to lose your temper during discussions or arguments. You will be unable to experience joy in normal day-to-day mundane activities.
“No amount of me trying to explain myself was doing any good. I didn’t even know what was going on inside of me, so how could I have explained it to them?”
― Sierra D. Waters, Debbie
It is more likely that you may have trouble sleeping. You often experience sleep deprivation in your life. Your body is always in hyperarousal or alert mode because it is always expecting unexpected bad things. PTSD can also make you trust no one which can lead to social withdrawal.
3. You Are Hypervigilance
Hypervigilance occurs after you cross the level of hyperarousal. Your body will become hyper-sensitive toward negative emotions and always look for physical and psychological potential threats.
“Even in times of trauma, we try to maintain a sense of normality until we no longer can. That, my friends, is called surviving. Not healing. We never become whole again … we are survivors. If you are here today… you are a survivor. But those of us who have made it thru hell and are still standing? We bare a different name: warriors.”
― Lori Goodwin
Hypervigilance is like your brain constantly scanning the potential danger that can lead to anxiety and stress. Your brain can become intelligent in planning the escape plan if it suspects any chances of threat.
Therefore, people with PTSD need to avoid potential triggers that can trigger their flight or fight response. They should also avoid situations where they can experience stress.
“When you have a persistent sense of heartbreak and gutwrench, the physical sensations become intolerable and we will do anything to make those feelings disappear. And that is really the origin of what happens in human pathology. People take drugs to make it disappear, and they cut themselves to make it disappear, and they starve themselves to make it disappear, and they have sex with anyone who comes along to make it disappear and once you have these horrible sensations in your body, you’ll do anything to make it go away.”
― Bessel A. van der Kolk
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