Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the ongoing sense of threat following a traumatic event in which a person felt that their life or bodily integrity was in danger. In cases of PTSD, the sense of threat continues well beyond the end of actual danger, and can continue for years after the event. It can often be characterised by vivid memories of the event and accompanied feelings replaying in the person’s mind, which can be onset by emotional triggers or reminders of the event.
PTSD can be characterised by various symptoms that are split into four groups:
- Re-experiencing symptoms : Re-experiencing symptoms of PTSD is characterised by memories of the trauma playing over and over in an individual’s mind. These memories can come back as ‘flashbacks’ during the day or as nightmares at night. The memories can be re-experienced in any of your five senses – you might see images of what happened, but also experience sounds, smells, tastes, or body sensations associated with the trauma. Emotions from the trauma can also be re-experienced and it can feel as though the events are happening again.
- Arousal symptoms : People suffering from PTSD may find that they are constantly ‘on edge’ following a traumatic event. This can mean that it is difficult for them to let their guard down, which can prevent them from being able to relax, cause concentration deficits, or problems with sleep. This can exacerbate a sufferer’s feelings of stress, and prevent emotional healing.
- Avoidance symptoms : People with PTSD may often try to avoid people, places, or other reminders of their trauma, as avoidance is a normal human reaction to physical or emotional pain. They may also try very hard to distract themselves or occupy their minds to avoid thinking about their trauma or the traumatic event, they may hesitate or be unable to talk about what happened or how it makes them feel.
- Negative thoughts and mood : Negative thoughts and mood associated with PTSD can be tied to re-experiencing symptoms of the trauma, as people with PTSD may replay the event over and over in their mind, constantly thinking about how they might have changed something for it to result in a different outcome.
Where it is not uncommon for those who experience traumatic life events to feel shocked, scared, guilty, ashamed, angry, or vulnerable after the event, those who suffer from PTSD often experience reoccurring feelings associated with the event over a long period of time, which may result in the onset of other mental health conditions, such as depression, insomnia, and/or other forms of anxiety. These feelings and memories associated with traumatic life events may be prompted by emotional triggers which remind the individual of the traumatic experience.