Because thinking about the trauma and feeling as if you are in danger is upsetting, people with symptoms of
post-traumatic stress disorder often try to avoid these reminders.
Sometimes, survivors are aware that they are avoiding reminders; other times, survivors do not realize that their behavior is motivated by the need to avoid reminders of the trauma.
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder that signify ways of avoiding thoughts, feelings, and sensations associated with the event can include:
- Actively avoiding trauma-related thoughts and memories
- Avoiding conversations and staying away from places, activities, or people that might remind you of the trauma
- Trouble remembering important parts of what happened during the event
- Shutting down emotionally or feeling emotionally numb
- Trouble having loving feelings or feeling any strong emotions
- Finding that things around you seem strange or unreal
- Feeling strange
- Feeling disconnected from the world around you and things that happen to you
- Avoiding situations that might make you have a strong emotional reaction
- Feeling strange physical sensations
- Feeling physically numb
- Not feeling pain or other sensations
- Losing interest in things you used to enjoy doing.
Trying to avoid thinking about the trauma and avoiding treatment for related problems may keep a person from feeling upset in the short term, but avoiding treatment means that in the long term, the post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms will persist.
HealthSavvy Sign In
|
