Common Signs of Psychological Trauma & PTSD
The brain is one of the most resilient organs in the body. Similar to flesh and wound, the brain has its own “immune system” which processes stressful information on a cognitive, somatic and emotional level.
Under normal conditions, what happens to us in the outside world is stored internally. That is, the body and the mind sort out what is relevant and make meaning of an event with the aim of integrating it into long-term memory. However, encountering a single stressful event OR a series of distressing experiences can overwhelm and disrupt this natural healing capacity. Once the ability to integrate events adaptively is interrupted some of the following difficulties will likely emerge:
Short-Term Trauma Symptoms
Intrusive memories, flashbacks, vivid nightmares and night terrors
Fear, denial or numbness
Feeling on the lookout for danger
Hypervigilance or restlessness
Problems falling or staying asleep
Difficulty focusing and racing thoughts
Irritability or angry outbursts
Feeling disconnected, apathy or symptoms of dissociation
Thoughts of being better off dead
Longer-term Trauma & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms
Symptoms of depression and anxiety
Addiction, self-harm or OCD-like behaviors
Chronic shame, self-blame or guilt
Feeling like an imposture, worthless or inadequate
Breakdown of relationships; pulling away from others
Difficulty forming meaningful and satisfying relationships
Chronic pain, IBS, and fibromyalgia
Negative body-image, overeating or restricting food intake
