PTSD. Signs, Symptoms, and a Deeper Understanding.

Today is PTSD awareness day. Can you name at least 5 signs of PTSD? Many can! With new awareness, outreach and community education many individuals are learning the signs and causes of PTSD. 
1. Nightmares
2. Anxiety
3. Hypervigilance
4. Flashbacks
5. Depression
 
What makes PTSD difficult to understand and notice are the uncommon symptoms that disguise themselves as anything other than PTSD. We at the Josh Dunne Organization, Mission Ready are committed to enhancing community knowledge and understanding of the common and not-so-common signs and symptoms of PTSD....let's talk about it!



1. Anger and hostility - everyone feels angry from time to time and it's completely normal to feel upset. But when it becomes a pattern or unusual tendencies for a person struggling with PTSD it's good to take a closer look. Has there been a trauma you experienced that you maybe thought, "It's not bothering me as much" or "that didn't affect me tremendously"? Sometimes the first sign is unexplainable irritability and usually towards those we trust and love. Multi-tasking, relationships, work, driving, reading or any activity that needs your undivided attention cause suddenly become overwhelming and result in anger and frustration. 

2. Self-destructive behavior - and often times not intentionally. We don't want to hurt the people we care about so many times we are the inflictors of our own self-pain because of denial? fear? self-defeat/shame? Whatever the reason, it’s good to watch out for one another and notice signs of self-harm (cutting, burning etc.) even engaging in risky behaviors such as substance abuse, reckless/careless driving or other activities that can put oneself in harm’s way. Be gentle when having difficult conversations about self-harm, often they are driven by low self-esteem and shame; be careful not to blame – blame gets us nowhere. 

3. Dissociative thoughts (sometimes flashbacks) – sometimes you don’t know why you started thinking about the possibility of using the Earth’s magnetic fields to support flying cars? But here you are! Maybe you were trying to read a book, watch a show or movie, listening to your family talk during dinner, or sitting in a meeting at work and your mind drifted away…far away.  It’s ok and it’s another common sign of PTSD. Often times we refer to this as a ‘daydream’. But when a person has experienced trauma the brain cannot slow down, it must keep moving to keep you safe.  It’s a biologically driven trait that serves a good purpose – too keep you safe; did I say that already? It’s important and very helpful because when we begin thinking about trauma it can become too intense and so your mind goes to “la-la land”, a daydream, a dissociative state. Sometimes it can impede daily functioning and it’s good to seek professional help with grounding or mindfulness exercises. 

I want to go back and touch briefly on some of the common symptoms because often times they aren’t what you think. 

1. Nightmares.  Often the assumption is that an individual who has experienced trauma is having nightmares of the actual traumatic event.  While this can be true, sometimes the dreams aren’t details of the event but metaphors of the event.  For example, if grieving the death of a loved one, one might dream of being the only person left in the world and everyone else just vanished without a trace.  This dream is a direct metaphor of traumatic grief that symbolizes the feeling of loneliness, isolation, sadness, and fear. Recurring nightmares with similar themes are also an indicator of unresolved processing from trauma. 
2. Anxiety/panic.  Sometimes we think of anxiety as panic, crying, avoidance, yelling, and hyperarousal. Yet anxiety and panic can disguise itself internally.  Sometimes the individual is also highly functioning at work, school or within relationships, but internally they are missing the subtle cues for anxiety and panic which can be: loss of appetite, nervous feelings or unusual fears of daily activities like driving. Difficulty focusing, fidgeting, and changes in breathing patterns like sudden deep breaths or quick shallow breathing. It’s good to begin learning about body-based reactions to emotions and practicing mindfulness and meditation is a good way to get in-tune with your body and what it’s telling you. 
3. Hypervigilance isn’t just checking the doors and windows at night. It can be persistent worry that something bad is going to happen again and doing everything you can to prevent it. While preparation is good and healthy, hypervigilance can begin to impact daily functioning.  It can cause isolation due to fear of interaction with society, create barriers in driving, working, and other type of interactions. 
4. Flashbacks are scary and the same experiences of dissociation but the daydream-like state of mind is actually replaying the traumatic episode(s). 
5. Depression. Everyone feels sad, we wouldn't know happiness without sadness, it's a core emotion and an important one; yet we as a society (especially in America) do not like to feel sadness, we instead like to push it down deep within our core, never talk about it and only show joy - this can take me into a long soapbox; maybe for another time.  For now, I want to focus on what depression associated with PTSD can look like. PTSD related depression can be physically painful - migraine, joint pains, muscle aches, body fatigue and other physical discomforts are common. Your body is experiencing inflammation due to the surge of stress hormones being constantly released; your body is tired - but you have to work, go to school, support your family and you don't have time to be tired.  So you internalize your needs and push them down - it's building and building and creating depression.  If you notice increased isolation - feelings of not belonging or wanted, difficulty engaging in social/family activities (loss of interest), feeling hopeless or helpless, loss of a sense of self worth then it's probably worth meeting with a licensed mental health professional to assess for co-occuring depression with PTSD.

These are just some of the experiences one might encounter when struggling with PTSD and each person is unique and may experience some of these, all of these, or maybe a little here or there, but the point is, if you think you are experiencing PTSD symptoms, seek help. You can contact us directly at the Josh Dunne Organization and we can assist with referrals to licensed mental health professionals or assist you with other resources. You are not alone, you do not have to struggle alone, it is a scary place but there is hope.