What Does Undiagnosed PTSD Look Like?

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Do Seek PTSD Treatment If You Have These Symptoms

After experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD can develop. It is a mental health condition that can often go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed and affects both men and women.

Symptoms of PTSD

According to The American Psychiatric Association, the symptoms of PTSD fall into four categories and vary in how severe a person experiences them.

1. Intrusion: “Intrusive thoughts such as repeated, involuntary memories; distressing dreams; or flashbacks of the traumatic event. Flashbacks may be so vivid that people feel they are reliving the traumatic experience or seeing it before their eyes.”*
2. Avoidance: “Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event may include avoiding people, places, activities, objects and situations that may trigger distressing memories. People may try to avoid remembering or thinking about the traumatic event. They may resist talking about what happened or how they feel about it.” *
3. Changes in thinking and mood: “Inability to remember important aspects of the traumatic event, negative thoughts and feelings leading to ongoing and distorted beliefs about oneself or others (e.g., “I am bad,” “No one can be trusted”); distorted thoughts about the cause or consequences of the event leading to wrongly blaming self or other; ongoing fear, horror, anger, guilt or shame; much less interest in activities previously enjoyed; feeling detached or estranged from others; or being unable to experience positive emotions (a void of happiness or satisfaction).”*
4. Changes in arousal and reactivity: “Arousal and reactive symptoms may include being irritable and having angry outbursts; behaving recklessly or in a self-destructive way; being overly watchful of one’s surroundings in a suspecting way; being easily startled; or having problems concentrating or sleeping.” *

How soon do symptoms start?

Many people who are exposed to a traumatic event experience symptom similar to these in the days following the event.

For a person to be diagnosed with PTSD the symptoms must last for more than a month and must cause significant distress or problems in the individual’s life and daily functioning. Many individuals develop symptoms within three months of the trauma, but symptoms can appear later on and often persist for months and sometimes years. You do not have to experience all of the symptoms to be diagnosed with PTSD.

Other Mental Health Concerns Associated With PTSD

There are other conditions alongside PTSD that people who have been exposed to a traumatic event experience like depression, substance use, memory problems and other physical and mental problems.

According to The American Psychiatric Association, “It is important to note that not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD, and not everyone who develops PTSD requires psychiatric treatment. For some people, symptoms of PTSD subside or disappear over time. Others get better with the help of their support system (family, friends or clergy).”

“But many people with PTSD need professional treatment to recover from psychological distress that can be intense and disabling. It is important to remember that trauma may lead to severe distress. That distress is not the individual’s fault, and PTSD is treatable. The earlier a person gets treatment, the better chance of recovery.”

If you think you may be experiencing PTSD please know that with treatment you can learn to manage your symptoms and improve the quality of your life!

Are you suffering with undiagnosed PTSD?

Learn more about therapy with me: PTSD Treatment

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*From the article:
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd