What is PTSD
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events or set of circumstances. An individual may experience this as emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening and may affect mental, physical, social, and/or spiritual well-being. Examples include natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, war/combat, rape/sexual assault, historical trauma, intimate partner violence and bullying,
Your experience
Witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event can result in a range of reactions and feelings, including shock, horror, fear and helplessness. Symptoms of PTSD can include nightmares about the trauma, flashbacks (seeing or feeling like you are reliving the event), feeling on edge or jumpy, trouble concentrating and any number of physical symptoms like headaches or stomach pains.
You may find that you alter your behavior with the goal of avoiding a similar incident, or feel depressed or anxious, have trouble sleeping or concentrating, feel numb or detached from others, and feel alone and isolated. You tell everyone you're fine and that the event didn't impact you, but deep inside you know that's not true. On the other hand, you're not sure how to push forward when you feel like your world has been turned upside down.
You may find yourself making poor choices in relationships, work and other areas of life. It's important to know that PTSD is a real condition, even if you experienced it after a situation that some would consider "minor."