Important Signs and Symptoms of PTSD You Shouldn't Ignore

Avoiding Reminders Of The Traumatic Event

Avoidance symptoms may include making an effort to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event and avoiding people, activities, and places that are reminders of the traumatic event. Avoidance is a common reaction to trauma, but when it is a main coping strategy and interferes with daily living, it becomes a problem requiring treatment. Using avoidance as a main coping strategy can cause PTSD symptoms to worsen. While not all avoidance is harmful, avoidance can be healthy under certain circumstances, if used as a primary coping method for dealing with trauma, it can have harmful effects psychologically and in daily functioning. The best thing to do if experiencing avoidance after trauma is to seek medical attention and therapy to learn how to deal with thoughts and feelings post-trauma in a healthier way.

Negative Changes In Thinking And Mood

Negative changes in one's thought processes and emotions may include having negative thoughts about self, other people and the world; feeling hopeless about the future; having difficulty remembering things, including important aspects of the traumatic event; having difficulty maintaining close relationships and feeling detached from family and friends; losing interest in once enjoyable activities; having difficulty experiencing positive emotions; and feeling numb emotionally. Grief and depression often accompany trauma, and having an overwhelmingly negative outlook on life is a common PTSD symptom. Being optimistic and having more positive thoughts, is an essential part of recovering from PTSD. Various therapeutic techniques can be helpful including cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps retrain the brain to interpret events in a more positive way. If experiencing the PTSD symptom of negative changes in thinking and mood, seek medical attention to begin a faster recovery.