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PTSD Symptoms in Adults

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a condition that can develop after a traumatic event that threatens a person's life or safety and also creates a feeling of unpredictable or uncontrollable helplessness. PTSD can also affect people who witness the event, those who help afterward, and sometimes the friends and family of people suffering from PTSD. Triggers for PTSD include war, natural disasters, car or plane crashes, violent assault, rape, sexual abuse, physical abuse or kidnapping. The symptoms are wide-ranging and can have a profoundly negative impact on the sufferer's life, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD.

  1. Re-Living the Event

    • A person suffering from PTSD may re-live the event over and over. This can be manifested as frequent, intrusive and upsetting memories of the event, actual flashbacks, or nightmares that re-create the event. Sometimes people suffer from intense feelings of distress when re-living or remembering the event. The feelings of distress can include a pounding heart, rapid breathing, nausea, sweating and muscle tension.

    Avoidance and Emotional Numbing

    • Some people suffering from PTSD describe techniques and activities that result in emotional numbing. Examples of this are avoiding places that remind the person of the traumatic episode. PTSD sufferers also may try to avoid thoughts and feelings that remind them of the trauma. More severe cases of PTSD can cause people to block out memories of people and events related to the trauma and to, in extreme cases, block out memory the trauma itself. Some people suffering from PTSD describe a feeling that the future will be bleak and feel detached or emotionally numb. PTSD patients sometimes report memory problems, having trouble concentrating and having trouble maintaining close relationships.

    Increased Arousal

    • Some people suffering from PTSD report having trouble sleeping, extreme irritability, problems with anger, difficulty concentrating, hyper-vigilance, or they report being jumpy or easily startled. Manifestations of this increased arousal can sometimes include seeing things or people that aren't there and can result in self-destructive behavior, such as excessive drinking.

    Other Common Psychological Symptoms

    • Some people suffering from PTSD describe a sense of guilt or shame over the traumatic event, according to VietNow, a resource for Vietnam veterans. Depression, and all of its relevant symptoms, often accompanies PTSD. PTSD sufferers often feel alienated and alone with feelings of mistrust and betrayal.

    Physical Symptoms

    • Psychological problems related to PTSD can trigger physical symptoms that include high blood pressure and related vascular diseases, lower energy, increased sensitivity to pain, and digestive problems, the National Center for PTSC reports. Long-term symptoms of PTSD can include arthritis and heart disease caused by increased stress hormones.

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