Signs and Symptoms of PTSD

There are several symptoms and signs that people may be experiencing with PTSD. Some people may experience all symptoms, or only a few. PTSD cases are not all the same, and can take different forms in different people. Signs and symptoms also depend on the severity and duration of the traumatic event.

By examining the different kinds of trauma, such as an environmental based trauma (hurricane, tornado, earthquake, etc.), or trauma caused by another person/persons (rape, molestation, car accident, combat, witnessing death, etc.), we can determine which symptoms are more likely to be present. A person may irrationally blame themselves for trauma caused by another person, thinking they “could’ve gone the other way, should’ve avoided it”, but in an environmental trauma, they can blame it on something external such as god, bad luck, global warming, pollution, etc.

Signs and Symptoms Can Include:

• Memories or pictures in your mind of the trauma or event
• Nightmares about the trauma or other scary dreams that leave you sweating and frightened
• Insomnia caused by these dreams/nightmares
• Flashbacks like you are reliving the trauma
• Depression or feeling numb inside, loss of interest in things that previously enjoyed
• Spaces in your memory where you can’t seem to remember certain pieces of the event
• Anger and irritability, difficulty concentrating
• Constantly in defensive mode, watching out for danger, anxiety
• Dizziness, stomach or muscle cramps, physical pain that has no medical explanation
• Thinking about the traumatic event involuntarily, these thoughts interfere with everyday life
• Emotional shut down, triggered by feelings of anger, guilt, sadness, and/or fear

The Biological Response

If a person goes through enough physical or emotional stress, the central nervous system receives a series of shocks. The higher intensity and long-term trauma causes a disruption in the natural chemical balance of the brain and body. But this reaction is different in everyone; one person may find that their chemical balance has not changed, whereas others may find that it has changed distinctively. Most likely those with long-term trauma will be affected by these biological changes because the trauma is severe, and repeated. Some problems include:

• Difficulty in regulating or controlling emotions
• Not being able to think clearly
• Development of depression, mood disorders
• Development of substance abuse problems

Because of the changes, a person may feel as if they are still living in the same conditions as the traumatic experience. Others may tell you that the danger has passed, but your body and mind may involuntarily revert back to how you were feeling, your emotional state, when the trauma occurred.

“Fight or Flight” reaction of the adrenal glands is a response to high stress or danger situations and these glands secrete large amounts of adrenaline. This enables people to have supercharged energy, sudden strength, and more speed than usual. If you have ever been in a situation where your child is about to fall, you rush to them extremely quickly, or if someone is hanging off something, you all of a sudden have super strength and can lift them up? This is the result of the increase of adrenaline. The heart rate increases, digestion slows, oxygen levels raise, pupils will dilate, and the blood will coagulate so if you bleed you won’t die of blood loss. But there is also a non-adrenaline that makes you go numb or freeze; for example, when an animal plays dead at the sight of danger. Some people such as soldiers in battle, rape victims, battery victims, and survivors of environmental traumas report that they just froze, like they could not move or react to the event.

Even when the traumatic event is long over, but there is a trigger, such as a sound, smell, or anything that reminds us of the original event, it can cause a surge of adrenaline through our bodies. A person can become agitated, annoyed, have extreme anger reactions, night terrors, and flashbacks, or a person can become numb, confused, and non- responsive to certain triggers. Since the hyper alertness and numbing effect can be painful, people will try and avoid certain trigger situations; unfortunately this is not always possible. Later we will talk about how to manage reactions to stressful or trigger situations.

Neurotransmitters and Prolonged Stress

Your adrenals are not designed to withstand prolonged stress, and experiencing repeated trauma will damage these glands. This is what causes the hyper arousal or numbing of PTSD. Neurotransmitters are released with the secretions of adrenaline. These are substances that help regulate the intensity of a person’s mood or emotions, so when they have been used up it can lead to clinical depression, outbursts, overreactions, and severe mood disorders.

Stay Tuned for Part 3 in this Series:

Home Life Effects, War and Employment Related PTSD