Question 1

What are the signs and symptoms of trauma and PTSD

Accepted Answer

Trauma can display a range of different symptoms and traumatic stress affects people in different ways, so no two people will experience it in exactly the same way even if they have very similar experiences. To get an official diagnosis of PTSD, symptoms fall into four main categories and you must experience a certain number of symptoms from each category. The diagnosis for C-PTSD is similar, with additional symptoms. You may still be experiencing trauma, even if you don’t have an official diagnosis. Here are the official list of symptoms of PTSD:   Re-experiencing symptoms  - Unwanted memories  - Nightmares  - Flashbacks  - Feeling very upset by reminders of the experience  - Physical responses to reminders of the experience   Avoidance   - Avoiding reminders of the experience  - Avoiding memories thoughts or feelings   Cognition and mood   - Difficulty remembering details of the experience  - Blaming yourself or someone else  - Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy  - Negative beliefs about yourself, others or the world  - Feeling distant or cut off from others  - Overwhelming feelings of horror, guilt or shame  - Trouble experiencing positive feelings   Arousal and reactivity   -Feeling jumpy or easily startled  -Being “superalert”, watchful or on guard  -Taking too many risks or doing things that could cause you harm  -Difficulty concentrating  -Trouble falling or staying asleep  ​​-Irritable behavior, angry outbursts, or acting aggressively   Additional C-PTSD symptoms  -Difficulty controlling your emotions  -Feeling like no one understands  or as though you are completely different to others  -Feeling as if you are permanently damaged or worthless  -Struggling with or avoiding friendships or relationships  -Experiencing dissociative symptoms such as depersonalisation or derealisation  -Physical symptoms such as headaches, dizziness or chest pains or physical health issues  -Feeling very angry or distrustful of the world  -Experiencing suicidal feelings   Trauma, PTSD and C-PTSD can be caused by one or many traumatic experiences. Traumatic experiences can be single events or a series of repeat or prolonged events that happen over a period of time. Traumatic experiences can also be a series of multiple events, witnessing harm to somebody else or exposure to traumatic events through work, living in a traumatic atmosphere or being affected by trauma in a family or community. There are many examples of traumatic events, which include (but are not limited to) the following:    Abuse, including domestic or emotional  Adverse childhood experiences  Bereavement by suicide  Childbirth experiences or losing a baby  Exposure to traumatic events through work  Physical or sexual assault  Road traffic accident  Serious health problems  Sudden death of a loved one  War, conflict or terrorism

Question 2

About trauma, PTSD & C-PTSD

For ease of reading, we use the term trauma to cover trauma, PTSD & C-PTSD except for where we are defining or speaking exclusively about PTSD or C-PTSD.

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