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Surprising PTSD Symptoms You Might Be Overlooking
You may have noticed changes in yourself. Perhaps you're constantly on edge, snapping at everyone, or experiencing frequent body aches and digestive issues. These changes could be signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It’s not always the obvious flashbacks—PTSD can show up in unexpected ways. To avoid overlooking PTSD symptoms, it helps to understand how this mental health condition can manifest.
What Causes PTSD?
PTSD can develop after experiencing a traumatic event. It can also occur after witnessing something deeply upsetting, disturbing, or terrifying. The experience may have happened once, several times, or is ongoing.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and American Psychiatric Association (APA), the causes of PTSD include:
- Violence in military combat
- Natural disasters, such as flooding, an earthquake, or a pandemic
- Physical or sexual assault
- Bullying or harassment
- Car accidents
- Loss of a loved one in shocking circumstances
- Diagnosis of a life-threatening condition
Whether you've experienced a major trauma or a buildup of difficult life events, recognizing PTSD symptoms could be the first step to finding the support and healing you need.
Psychological PTSD Symptoms
Long-term trauma can lead to complex PTSD (CPTSD or c-PTSD), which can cause problems in relationships, identity, and emotion regulation.
The PTSD symptoms many people are familiar with are what the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) categorizes as "re-experiencing." People with re-experiencing symptoms relive intense and vivid aspects of the trauma through intrusive flashbacks, recurring nightmares, or involuntary memories.
But PTSD has other, easily overlooked signs, such as:
1. Being tense, quick to anger, and easily startled
According to NIMH, someone with PTSD might feel jumpy, on edge, and prone to aggressive or angry outbursts. Even small things might make you lash out. This hyperarousal (when you feel extra alert and sensitive) is a crucial sign of PTSD. Your body and mind remain in a heightened state of alert long after the traumatic event has passed. This can also lead to difficulty sleeping and reckless or self-destructive behavior.
2. Changing your life to avoid anything that reminds you of your trauma
This might mean changing your commute, avoiding certain places, or even ditching activities you used to love because they make you feel too anxious. This avoidance behavior is a way to manage overwhelming emotions and can include other PTSD symptoms like intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and hypervigilance.
3. Always feeling afraid, guilty, and ashamed
You constantly feel negative emotions and blame yourself for what happened. Or you might feel disconnected from loved ones and unable to experience positive emotions. Things that used to bring you joy now feel pointless. These changes in thinking and mood can lead to further emotional numbing, loss of interest in activities, and difficulty concentrating.
Unexpected Signs of PTSD in the Body
PTSD is also known as post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS), shell shock, and battle fatigue.
The emotional and behavioral signs of PTSD can lead to problems in the body, which you might not associate with PTSD.
For instance, PTSD can trigger an imbalance of cortisol (a.k.a. the stress hormone) levels since the body is in a constant state of acute stress. According to PTSD UK, cortisol problems can lead to the following physical symptoms:
1. You can’t fall—or stay—asleep.
Trying to repress traumatic memories can make it difficult for you to fall asleep or cause you to wake up frequently. These sleep issues can worsen other emotional or behavioral trauma symptoms.
2. Your tummy is upset more than usual.
Research has shown that cortisol can cause bloating, gas, indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux, and wear down the lining of the digestive tract. Severe stress and fear can also trigger another hormone called corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), which can cause gastrointestinal problems ranging from diarrhea to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). /p>
3. You experience various physical aches and pains frequently.
PTSD can make muscles feel tight and joints stiff. Cortisol worsens things by adding inflammation and pain sensitivity. You can also experience headaches and nausea (a feeling of queasiness or discomfort in the stomach).
4. Your skin scars easily.
Studies have shown that cortisol can dehydrate the outer skin layers and damage the cells that help repair them. The skin becomes dry or irritated, or wounds may take longer to close, which can lead to scarring.
5. You get cold hands and feet even in warm temperatures.
In fight-flight-or-freeze mode, blood flow shifts from the arms and legs to vital organs like the heart and lungs to protect the body. However, in PTSD, with its constant state of heightened alertness and stress, it creates poor blood flow to the extremities, causing the hands and feet to feel colder even in warm temperatures.
These physical symptoms may be related to other conditions, so consulting a doctor is essential.
Where to Get Help
You can seek professional help online if your PTSD makes it hard for you to leave home.
One thing to know about PTSD is the symptoms can manifest within three to six months of a traumatic event. While not everyone experiences the same symptoms, they can worsen over time, affecting your overall well-being, daily life, and relationships. That’s why it’s important to seek professional help, especially through convenient options like telemedicine with the KonsultaMD app.
If you or someone you know is experiencing PTSD, reach out to a healthcare professional. You can get support from licensed mental health counselors at KonsultaMD in the comfort of your home. It can be incredibly challenging to cope with PTSD symptoms. But PTSD is treatable, and finding help can make a huge difference.