PTSD can show up in different ways for different people. This difference has to do with your history, how safe you felt growing up, how predictable the world felt (or feels), exposure to trauma over your lifespan, and how much control you felt you had during the toughest moments. PTSD is NEVER a barometer for how strong, resilient, hardy, or smart you are. In fact, it’s the opposite. Acknowledging the presence of PTSD or reactions to trauma AND getting the treatment for it IS a barometer for how strong, resilient, hardy, and smart you are. It takes more courage to face the struggle than to suffer silently.
These are the questions I ask people in order to start assessing for the presence of PTSD and trauma symptoms:
1. Do you avoid thinking about the event because it bothers you, makes you angry, makes you feel helpless, or makes your brain race with difficult thoughts or images?
2. Do you have trouble sleeping, waking up every 1-2 hours, waking up multiple times, or have trouble falling asleep if you sleep at all?
3. Do you feel more anxious or nervous than you ever did before?
4. Do you worry about your ability to protect yourself or to react the way you need to in a future situation?
5. Do you feel uncomfortable in your own body?
6. Have you lost trust in yourself or in your judgment?
7. Do you have nightmares about the event?
8. Do you avoid thinking about, recalling, talking about, or remembering anything related to the event?
9. Have you experienced panic attacks or anxiety attacks?
10. Is the negative memory so vivid you can see every detail and place yourself there, or does the memory have large chunks of time or detail missing?
Answering “yes” to one question doesn’t mean you have PTSD. However, the more you answered “yes,” the more likely it is that you may have PTSD. If you said “yes” to two or more of these questions, please talk to or consult with a clinician about your responses. Many people live with PTSD and function on a day-to-day basis. The issue is not about living with or managing PTSD, it’s about being able to truly live. Most people can live with chronic back pain; the point is that you don’t have to. Living with the back pain doesn’t make you stronger, courageous, or smart...it makes you masochistic.