4 Ways We Can Be Affected by PTSD

Looking for PTSD treatment in Keller, Texas? If so, we can help.

Some trauma is brief, and it might seem minor, but it affects us for years. Other trauma (such as PTSD) plays out over many years at the hands of different people. It can become so “normal” that we don’t expect to be affected by it.

All types of trauma affect us. Just like with a physical injury, sometimes there are no visible marks left by trauma. PTSD might affect us visibly on the outside, but most of the damage is felt internally. As we try to heal, we must consider the ways that we are affected and acknowledge them so we can process the pain and begin to move on.

The Exterior Effects of PTSD

Physical

Trauma affects us physically, sometimes in ways that are so common that we ignore them. People feel many of their emotions in their bodies. For example, we might feel anxiety as a knot in our stomach. We might feel stress as a pressure on our shoulders or around our head. Sadness might feel like a weight on our chests.

Different traumas can manifest in different physical symptoms. Trauma most commonly results in fatigue, muscle tension, migraines, headaches, physical jabs of pain in the joints, and sleep disturbances. We must treat these symptoms so that we can move on in life, but they might be attached to a traumatic experience in our past. If this is the case, these physical symptoms might persistently reoccur until we begin to deal with our trauma.

Behavioral

It’s not uncommon for people to become reckless and develop new habits and personality traits as they navigate PTSD. Some people turn to substances and alcohol as coping mechanisms, leading to addictions and more problems. Formerly extroverted people might become isolated and avoidant. Most commonly, PTSD results in people being more anxious, distrustful, and hyperaware than before.

It might be alarming for friends and family to see us acting in unexpected ways, and we might worry when we don’t understand what we are doing or why. We must be gracious and patient with ourselves as we process the trauma, as well as intentional in seeking help and reaching out to trusted friends for support. We do not need to struggle alone, and there is a healthy way to cope.

The Interior Effects of PTSD

Cognitive

Besides our body and behavior, our brains and our thinking are affected by PTSD. People who used to have excellent memories might find that they are more forgetful. Along with nightmares and disturbed sleep, they might have horrible flashbacks and intrusive thoughts that ruin their mood. People with PTSD frequently find it difficult to relax or concentrate on things, with their minds feverishly going over past experiences at inopportune moments.

Emotional

Of all the ways that PTSD affects us, it is our emotions that are most clearly affected. We might find ourselves more anxious than ever, always feeling on edge and nervous. We might be irritable, angry, and hostile, always ready to pick a fight or argue a point. Most commonly, we will feel depressed, ashamed, guilty, and afraid even though we won’t always understand why we are feeling these things.

The Roots

C.S. Lewis once wrote that when he was a child and had a headache, he would never tell his mother that he was in pain. He knew that the headache was a result of a toothache and that if his mother knew of his rotting tooth, she would take him to the dentist.

If the dentist saw the tooth, he wouldn’t simply extract that one tooth, but all of the offending teeth, and the dentist would give him fillings. He decided suffering in silence was better than facing the real issue.

We do the same with trauma and PTSD. We might know that the reason we are anxious about drinking more and picking fights has something to do with experience. Most of us want to leave it in the past and move on with our lives. The problem is that we are carrying our pasts with us in the present and in the future.

Getting Help: PTSD Treatment in Keller, Texas

We don’t have to suffer alone in silence, and we don’t have to be defeated by past experiences. Dealing with past trauma can start as simply as meeting with a counselor one time. In counseling, it is we who decide how deep we go, and no counselor will force us to deal with anything we are not ready for.

If you feel you need help to heal from trauma and PTSD, reach out to our office today at Keller Christian Counseling in Texas. We will secure an appointment for you with a qualified trauma therapist in Keller, Texas who can help you unknot your experience of trauma and PTSD. Start your journey of relief today.