Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health condition. Usually, traumatic events bring on PTSD, whether a person experienced it first-hand or witnessed it happen to someone else. While PTSD has a strong link with war veterans, this condition can occur to anyone who witnesses something tragic and, consequently, displays one or more of the five common symptoms.
What are the five signs of PTSD? In Balance Counseling covers the details below. Its intensive outpatient program in Tucson, AZ, commits to spreading mental health awareness, and PTSD is part of this focus.
Traumatic Experience
A PTSD diagnosis requires there to have been a traumatic event. It doesn’t matter if the person was actually in danger – it’s how the person perceived this situation.
Veterans, first responders, or those who witnessed a tragic accident may develop PTSD.
Flashbacks or Nightmares
Those diagnosed with PTSD often endure the intrusion of recurring nightmares or flashbacks. Some people experience dissociation during flashbacks, which is when they lose awareness of their surroundings.
Nightmares could interfere with the person’s ability to get a good night’s rest, which comes with challenges of its own.
Trigger Avoidance
People usually want to avoid triggers that spur their flashbacks, anxiety, or other PTSD symptoms. For example, the person may try to avoid:
- Conversations related to their trauma
- Troubling thoughts and feelings
- People and places similar to the source of the trauma
- Hobbies, media, or activities related to the traumatic event
If there are triggers, people may stop engaging in their favorite hobbies, visiting their favorite restaurants, or speaking to their closest friends that they somehow associate with the event. Veterans may find fireworks triggering. Someone assaulted during their childhood may avoid the street they grew up on.
Mood Changes
Happy people can turn into very unhappy individuals once they develop PTSD. Exaggerated thinking is common, like saying, “You can’t trust anyone” or “Cars are too dangerous to drive.”
People may also lose interest in hobbies and activities due to depression or feelings of estrangement. Struggling internally may also mean the person finds it harder to relate to their loved ones.
Behavioral Changes
What are the five signs of PTSD? One of the most noticeable answers is a change in behavior. For example, hypervigilance is a common trauma response where the person overreacts to startling sounds, always looks over their shoulder for danger, or sees restless sleep turning into outright insomnia.
A person who was always eager to go on adventures or take risks may become very careful about their choices due to their heightened anxiety. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a normally cautious person who loses hope in a positive future may become a risk-taker.
Contact In Balance Counseling for PTSD Help
If you are experiencing challenging symptoms or other unhealthy coping mechanisms, please reach out to professionals like In Balance Counseling. To recap, what are the five signs of PTSD? They include:
- A traumatic experience to pinpoint
- Flashbacks or nightmares
- Trigger avoidance
- Behavioral and mood changes
An intensive outpatient program for PTSD could help you achieve physical, spiritual, social, and emotional healing. Call In Balance Counseling at (520) 722-9631 for help.