PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s a mental illness that develops after someone experiences a traumatic event. Traumatic events may include physical abuse, sexual assault, natural disasters, war, and accidents. Symptoms of PTSD can last for months or years.
PTSD alters a person’s behavior, making them more vigilant about things that could happen. Though those fears and actions might seem overdone by others and might feel like they’re overreactions. However, this is very real and valid. Men who have gone to war can prove that PTSD is certainly real, and anyone can experience it. A person can feel mild to severe reactions to their traumatic experiences, but some of the most common are,
Sudden Panic Attacks
Trauma can be triggered by anything in general. There is no outline of what can trigger PTSD in a human. A loud bang could trigger a war trauma. A hug could trigger a parental trauma, and many go so on and so forth. With all this in the victim’s mind, they could have mild to severe panic attacks that make them feel like choking. They will feel cold sweats, their heart beating faster and many other symptoms.
Social Anxiety
The person could also suffer from anxiety, making them withdraw from social situations. Since they are vulnerable to many conditions that could potentially bring them back into the same thing that brought them to this point, they will avoid it at all costs.
Many people suffer from incidents caused by people who are still in their social circle or have connected friends. To avoid meeting such people, victims can withdraw social invitations to protect themselves. This is a very acceptable response but should be used to cut off people who associate themselves with such people and not to torture themselves.
Aggravated responses
After a person processes a lot of emotions, they will take time to heal. Trauma can stay for years and does not leave until the person decides for themselves. They will also have irrational responses to very normal situations to protect themselves. This is acceptable until and unless people are not being hurt emotionally and physically.
A recent book also mentions how the author has left the country and the place but still fails to leave the memories behind even after multiple years. We Are “Others” is a great book about the experiences people have in war-stricken countries such as Iran. Dr Golnaz, the author, mentions a family experience and the life she lived in this tear-jerking read.
