5 Signs You May Struggle with PTSD

PTSD – a Closer look from a Chicago perspective

Yes, there was yet more shootings, stabbings, and killings somewhere in the city of Chicago this week and if you haven’t been paying close attention, there were many of the same occurring on a daily basis across various cities in the US.

These days, everywhere you look there are multiple postings on bombings, mass shootings, terrorism, various forms of assaults, natural disasters, the list goes on and on, all happening right before our eyes.

It is important to know that, while many of us who live here in Lakeview or other parts of Chicago will have short-term responses to life-threatening events, some of us with direct contact or indirect exposure will develop long-term symptoms, that can result in a diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder — PTSD.

I find it interesting that when you mention the words PTSD, most people would automatically think about a male combat veteran who has experienced horrific events during the war, or envision a veteran struggling with flashbacks, negative memories they can’t control. While there are some evidence and truth to this population, PTSD is not limited to people serving or have served in the military.

Related: Learn about trauma informed therapy

The truth is, “PTSD comes from some type of traumatic event,” said  Colleen Cira, PsyD., a psychologist who specializes in women and trauma.  “It can include things like war, car accidents, rape, physical assault, or even verbal and emotional abuse,” or even more extreme survivors of aforementioned events. To say it loosely, any kind of scary frightening or disturbing event that overwhelms our ability to cope falls into the PTSD category.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “PTSD affects 3.5% of the U.S. adult population—about 8 million Americans. About 37% of those diagnosed with PTSD are classified as having severe symptoms. And women have higher rates than men.”

First off, it is crucial to point out that PTSD can occur at any age and is directly associated with exposure to trauma. The key word here is TRAUMA or perceived trauma. Cira went on to say that “with PTSD, it’s not only that the person is remembering that painful event, but the body also responds as if the event is happening again.”

Therefore, cognitively you know it’s not, at a subconscious level, you’re re-experiencing it, and as the stress response is ignited, stress hormones are released, which ultimately triggers the cascades of physical, mental and emotional symptoms.

That being said, it is a continuous challenge living with PTSD, and you most likely know or have come across someone who suffers from this disorder or have suffered most at some point in their life, either with manageable to severe symptoms.

The grand reality is that many of us have been through a traumatic event or even a  terrifying event or experience that has left us with deep emotional pain. Even if it did not happen to you directly, hearing about it or witnessing it can sometimes be enough to send a jolt through your body or completely change your worldview.

For some of us, as time passes, we are able to deal with the effects and move on with our lives, but for others, it becomes very difficult to deal with the recurring flashbacks, anxiety, fear, and insomnia that stems from past trauma. If the latter is the case, then you might be struggling with PTSD.

5 Potential Signs of PTSD

1. You Have Intrusive Thoughts, Memories, And Flashbacks

Yes, these are classic signs. Re-experiencing past trauma is the classic symptom of PTSD and can occur as a nightmare, flashbacks, or intrusive memory.

While trauma nightmares are often recurrent, may include details of past trauma, can be terrifying, and often wake you out of sleep, they sometimes disrupt sleep so badly that you don’t want to fall asleep, to begin with!

Flashbacks, on the other hand, can sometimes be so strong that you or the person experiencing them will essentially “lose touch with reality and the brain/body will make it seem like they are experiencing the traumatic event again” Cira says.

I should point out that the difference between a flashback and an intrusive memory/thoughts is simple. In a flashback, you’re actually reliving the memory, which means you’ve lost touch with your current situation. With intrusive memories, you know the time and place you are, but the traumatic memory keeps invading in your mind.

If you have experienced a traumatic event and you find yourself having repeated difficulty connecting with people and places because of your intrusive memories or flashbacks, you may be struggling with PTSD.

2. Do you Avoid Certain Activities, Feel Emotionally Numb and\or Detached from Other People?

Another sign you may be struggling with PTSD is the avoidance of external reminders of what happened. Many people who have experienced a traumatic event will intentionally avoid certain places or people who might trigger possible distress or discomfort.  

A loss of interest in important, once positive, activities, feeling distant from others, or experiencing difficulties having positive feelings, such as happiness or love, can all be related to the need for detachment.

It is important to note that PTSD and emotional avoidance and/or detachment go hand-in-hand, and many people with PTSD try to detach from other people as a means to escape their negative emotions. Some people will even go as far as using drugs and alcohol to numb those feelings or as a means to avoid all reminders of the trauma.

If you are too afraid to leave your home or catch yourself avoiding certain people, places, situations or masking your negative emotions with substance use abuse, take it as a sign.

3. You Experience Difficulty Remembering Important Aspects of a Tragic Event

This a very common sign, and one that is easily overlooked. This can happen in several ways; first either through a condition called dissociative amnesia or repression of the memory relating to the event, which tends to happen unconsciously.

Forgetting important details or feeling confused about the timeline of the event can be a way of your brain/mind/body coping with the tragic event. For example, research shows that many adults who remember being sexually abused as children experienced a period when they did not remember the abuse. However, a variety of experiences can also help trigger the recall of some aspects of the event.

4. You Are Hypervigilance or Easily Distracted

It makes sense that a person who’s been through a traumatic event might be extra sensitive to their surroundings. After directly or indirectly experiencing a tragic event, most people will sometimes feel “on guard” the majority of the time, as a way of assessing every possible threat.

The key here is that a person in a hypervigilance state functions this way as a mechanism of self-defense. It’s like a way of spotting potential dangers from people or the environment, which may make the person who has experienced trauma, feel as though they’re alert and prepared to respond.

You may also feel easily distracted and jumpy, even at the sound of a phone ringing, and at times experience difficulty concentrating on simple tasks or making decisions.

Note that hypervigilance and distractibility is one of the hyperarousal symptoms that can come with PTSD. A person with symptoms of PTSD can feel increased anxiety, fear, panic, and pervasive worrying, which can at times be very overwhelming.

5. Sleep Disturbances

Sleep disturbances or chronic insomnia are very common and one of the major warning signs that you may be struggling with PTSD. Traumatic images or nightmares can disrupt sleep and can show itself in lingering aches, pains, and general discomfort. In addition, those recurrent nightmares are a signature feature of PTSD, and it is quite possible that a person will experience insomnia because they dread the nightmares and the associated feelings of helplessness.

Unfortunately, this sign, unlike others, can be associated with a wide range of adverse conditions, such as fatigue, cognitive impairment, mood disturbances and reduced quality of life. If you have experienced a traumatic event, and find yourself with frequent awakenings during the night or difficulty falling asleep, this might be a sign that you are struggling with PTSD.

Please keep in mind that Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a common consequence of trauma that, without treatment, can persist for decades. If you or someone you know have directly or indirectly experienced a tragic event, you are likely to show some of these and many more signs of PTSD.

The more you know about these signs, the more you are able to get appropriate diagnosis and treatment relating to your PTSD. If you think you have experienced some type of trauma, reach out to one of our Chicago therapists.