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PTSD Symptoms

Do you appreciate your successes, or does pausing to appreciate success scare you? Even though success is a very normal aspiration, feeling happy about a success (or feeling happy for any reason) can be scary for trauma survivors. The definition of success varies greatly between individuals and can even change during different stages of the same person's life. However, for those of us living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the experience of success is sometimes a little extra complicated, even scary. I'm slowly learning to appreciate success in my life with PTSD.
What happens when someone with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is traumatized again? It's a question that has been on my mind a lot lately. So many scary and potentially traumatic or anxiety-provoking natural phenomena are taking place in the world right now. Whether we're talking the hurricanes in the Southern United States, the West Coast wildfires that caused ash to rain over my city for a day and a half, or the fatal floods in Southeast Asia, the world has watched a lot of unpredictable events unfold. Statistically speaking, some of the people affected by these natural disasters must already have PTSD.1 Are those people with PTSD being traumatized again?
At first, the idea that sexual promiscuity can result from childhood sexual abuse seems illogical. Wouldn't someone who suffered sexual abuse have difficulty creating intimate relationships and work to avoid personal contact? While this can often be the case, a review of the research on childhood sexual abuse (from the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, or AAETS) confirms that a large number of survivors engage in promiscuous behaviors, even those who turn away close relationships. Here are some of the reasons why childhood sexual abuse can lead to promiscuity.
I have experienced a lot of negative self-talk around my posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Before my PTSD diagnosis and therapy, my daily life was filled with stress and feelings of worthlessness. I had lived with my anxieties, depression, and dissociation for most of my life. I had no frame of reference for what life could be like without these symptoms. I had to reach a point where I was unable to do anything but sit on the couch and obsess over imagined diseases and an untimely death before I sought out a professional. Even then, I had a difficult time allowing myself to heal as if I wasn't significant enough for help. Here are some things I wish I had known about negative self-talk and PTSD when I first began reaching out for assistance.
My memories lost to dissociation come from having experienced prolonged traumatic abuses as a child. I developed the protective reflex of dissociation at an early age. Dissociation was my response to frightening, harmful, and unpredictable environments. I learned to tune out and shut down mentally while still being able to respond to my surroundings to function in the moment. I don't know this because I remember it. I know this because other people hold memories for me. Here is how I began reclaiming my memories lost to trauma-related dissociation.
My posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) brain keeps me busy to avoid pain. Your PTSD brain could help you avoid pain in a very different way. The diversity found in the coping mechanisms people develop in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) continues to surprise me. In my case, constant thinking was one way my PTSD brain protected me.
I have a bad habit and it's about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related avoidance. I make plans with the best of intentions, only to cancel them at the last minute. Does this sound familiar to you? As many times as this has happened, I continue to experience a disconnect between the willingness to participate in an event when I make plans, and the utter desire to avoid leaving my room when it is time to go. However, I have found that breaking outings into steps reduces PTSD-related avoidance.
It can be difficult to explain posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms to friends, but it helps me to do so. PTSD symptoms include an array of possibilities such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks, difficulty bonding, addiction, insomnia, and dissociation. People experience PTSD in very different ways, based on their trauma history, resilience, supports and a myriad of other factors. So here is why I find it beneficial to explain how my specific PTSD symptoms manifest themselves, and why you might too.
If you experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you are eligible for workplace accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While not everyone with PTSD will require accommodations, there are many options available for dealing with fatigue, stress, poor concentration, memory loss, and anxiety. Read about these workplace accommodations for employees with PTSD.
Living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during pregnancy can be scary. Pregnancy can be an overwhelming experience for anyone; for women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), being pregnant can be joyful, stressful, and even frightening. Additionally, there is not much information to be found on how PTSD symptoms can impact pregnancy, leaving many women with more questions than answers (Effects of Psychiatric Medications During Pregnancy). Understanding your diagnosis and maintaining a strong support system can help counter the uncertainties that come about when you're pregnant and living with PTSD.