Content warning: discussion of assault, war, and trauma
I want to start by saying that contrary to how it's often portrayed in the media, resiliency is the norm. Most people experience potentially traumatic events (PTEs) do not develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is not to play down the trauma people experience. This is simply to say that, statistically, most people that experience PTEs don't develop PTSD.
Potentially traumatic events include (but are not limited to) being a victim of a violent crime like assault, childhood abuse, and wartime combat exposure. Additionally, PTEs don't necessarily have to be violent. They can also be really bad car accidents, workplace accidents, or even the death of a loved one.
Symptoms of PTSD are separated into 4 different categories: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions. The following information comes directly from the Mayo Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967)
Intrusive memories symptoms might include:
- Unwanted and recurring memories of the PTE
- Flashbacks (reliving the trauma as if it were happening again)
- Nightmares about the event
- Severe negative reactions to something that reminds you of the event
Avoidance symptoms may include:
- Avoiding talking or thinking about the vent
- Avoiding anything that might remind you of the event (places, activities, people, etc.)
Negative changes in thinking and mood symptoms may include:
- Negative thoughts about yourself and others
- Hopelessness
- Memory problems (including memories about the event)
- Problems maintaining close relationships
- Lack of interest in things you once enjoyed
- Issues with experiencing positive emotions
- Emotional numbness
Changes in physical and emotional reactions symptoms may include:
- Being easily startled/frightened
- Always being on guard
- Self-destructive behavior
- Sleeping difficulty
- Trouble concentrating
- Irritability
- Overwhelming guilt or shame
However, PTSD is a very complex disorder. Because of this, it can be very hard to diagnose. Unlike most other disorders, PTSD has a baseline criteria in order to get the diagnosis. You must have experienced a potentially traumatic event like direct exposure to trauma, witnessing something traumatic, learning a friend or relative was directly exposed to a trauma, or indirect exposure to aversive details of a trauma in the course of professional duties (i.e. firefighters, paramedics, etc.) in order for a PTSD diagnosis to even be considered.
One of the reasons PTSD is so hard to diagnose is because of the overlapping symptoms of other mental illnesses. For example, a lot of the negative changes are also symptoms of depression. Several changes in physical and emotional reaction symptoms are also anxiety symptoms. One of the reasons there is overlap with anxiety disorders is because PTSD is associated with significant levels of anxiety to the point where it is often talked about in Intro to Psych books in the anxiety disorder section.
A big misconception about PTSD is that only veterans can get PTSD because that's the context in which it's discussed most of the time. That's how it's portrayed in popular culture as well. One major example I can think of is the episode of Criminal Minds Season 2, Episode 7. The premise of this episode is a veteran is trapped in a PTSD flashback to his time overseas and when startled or surprised, he reacts violently. However, anyone can experience PTSD. If you have experienced a potentially traumatic event, there is a possibility that you could have PTSD. As I mentioned above, combat exposure is not the only PTE. Here is yet another incident of popular culture latching onto one specific aspect of psychology and driving it into the ground. Most of the portrayals of PTSD I can think of immediately all portray the person with PTSD as being violent, which is not the case. In fact, it is a well known statistic that mentally ill people are far more likely to be the victims of violence than to be the perpetrators. One of the few mainstream media portrayals of PTSD that does not inherently include violence is Tony Stark in the MCU. While the argument can be made that he is a violent person, that is not directly tied to his PTSD. It's more of a character flaw.
Another common misconception is the focus on flashbacks and nightmares. While those are key symptoms of PTSD, they are not the only symptoms of PTSD, as indicated by the list above. You can have PTSD without nightmares or flashbacks.
If you suspect you might have PTSD, please please please consult a psychiatrist or therapist. If you have thoughts about harming yourself or others please get emergency help
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