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This content was originally published on Quora and updated on 8/11/2023. You can view the original post here.
DISCLAIMER: This post does not constitute advice, mental health treatment, or therapy, nor does it intend to diagnose anyone.
- If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and feel unsafe or want to hurt yourself, please call 988, the national suicide helpline.
- For Veterans: Dial 988, Press 1, chat online, or text 838255.
The diagnosis of PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is becoming more and more common as traumatic stress becomes less stigmatized. Someone can meet many, but not all, criteria for PTSD but not have a PTSD diagnosis. Still, trauma is trauma. If I see someone experiencing these, I may think that PTSD is likely. Still, I will almost certainly know they experienced some trauma. That is almost indisputable. I won’t list all the criteria for PTSD because you can look in the DSM-5 for that.
1. Dissociation (not a primary criterion for PTSD, but can be part of it):
2. People zone out during a conversation: They may trail off or suddenly have a blank look in their eyes as if they aren’t there inside. Dissociation might occur alongside derealization or depersonalization, common dissociative identity disorder (DID) traits. Note that DID often has roots in severe trauma, usually in childhood.
3. Emotional reactivity: Sadness, anger, irritability, emptiness. Someone may suddenly snap after not being provoked. You might be conversing with someone, and they reply hastily or sound irritated. It might not be anything you did – it may be that the person emotionally reacted to an internal experience, such as memory, flashback, sound, smell, or taste. These are not measurable because they are someone’s internal experiences, so it’s unwise to assume what they are experiencing. Sometimes, it looks like aggression out of nowhere, where someone may become combative or violent. Still, this is less common than is portrayed in media, TV, and movies.
4. Physical reactivity: Stomach aches, body aches, headaches, somatic complaints of pain. May not be sleeping or might be waking due to nightmares. Don’t assume.
5. Heightened startle response or feeling that someone is looking over your shoulder: Hypervigilance, which is exactly how it sounds – being acutely aware, hyper-aware, or vigilant of one’s surroundings. A cupboard door closes suddenly, and someone twitches or jumps. A loud sound causes people to feel extremely uncomfortable. A common one is hearing fireworks during holidays, which causes many veterans to feel uncomfortable because they sound like gunfire. Many veterans are exemplary, though, so don’t assume this is a problem for every veteran.
6. Difficulty recalling details/memory impairment: Sometimes, one cannot finish their thoughts or will suddenly forget an important detail. It may look like forgetfulness. Have you ever been stressed and you need to remember something important? That’s what this is – it may happen more often for someone with trauma. People may need to remember meetings, regular appointments, a lunch or coffee date, or other details in their own life. These challenges are associated with the brain impairment that comes with trauma.
I hope these are helpful for those of you who have a loved one who is or may be struggling with PTSD. If you think you or a loved one have PTSD, please consult with a mental health professional and share your concerns. They are there to help you.
