When thinking of PTSD, many people immediately associate the condition with symptoms like flashbacks and hypervigilance. While those are certainly hallmarks of PTSD, some lesser-known symptoms may surprise people. But because these aren’t the most well-known symptoms, some people may not recognize them as a sign of PTSD.
Why Does PTSD Happen?
To better understand the symptoms, we must first understand why PTSD occurs in the first place. It’s important to note that not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD.
PTSD develops after someone experience an extremely stressful or traumatic event. This might be a car accident, sexual assault, combat, a natural disaster, a mass shooting, emotional abuse, etc. At the time of the event, the body enters fight-or-flight mode as a means of protection and survival. This reaction is completely normal.
However, PTSD comes into play when the body is unable to exit fight-or-flight mode. Essentially, the brain’s survival switch gets stuck on “danger.” As a result, stress hormones continue to circulate, and a person unwillingly stays on high alert. In time, this turns into the symptoms and overall experience we know as PTSD.
Unexpected Symptoms of PTSD
Some of the more common symptoms of PTSD include:
– Avoidance of triggers
– Hypervigilance
– Flashbacks
– Difficulty sleeping
– Irritability
However, there are other symptoms and factors of PTSD that are a bit more unexpected.
Obsessive-Compulsive Tendencies
Some people who develop PTSD will also experience a surge in obsessive-compulsive tendencies. This gets tricky because it begs the question, “Were those tendencies there before?”
Whether they’re being exacerbated by PTSD or are a new development, OCD and PTSD thought patterns have similarities in how an individual interprets stressful or intrusive thoughts. People with PTSD may interpret intrusive event-related thoughts as more threatening than they are in reality, as a reflection of their perceived shortcomings, or as having catastrophic consequences—all very similar to OCD.
As a result, someone with PTSD may engage in ritualistic behaviors as a way to soothe trauma-related anxieties. Sometimes the connections may not seem direct. For example, someone who experienced a traumatic stroke may develop a belief that every time they cough, they have to cough a certain number of times to prevent another stroke.
Guilt and Embarrassment
It’s not entirely uncommon for people to feel guilt related to their trauma. This could be survivor’s guilt or the person blaming themselves for the event. Some people associate the pain after trauma as a type of penance for their guilt. This causes people to often avoid seeking help or downplaying their distress.
On top of that, some feel their trauma is an embarrassment. They may avoid sharing their experience with others, as the vulnerability required to do so may be hard to cope with. Instead, keeping it all inside feels more like a protective measure, although this does more harm than good in the long run.
Delayed Onset
Most of the time, PTSD does not have an immediate effect. Often, it takes months to show up. In some cases, it can even take years. Because of this, many people often assume they are suffering from depression or anxiety. They may not realize that their distress is actually PTSD. They end up attempting to treat something else instead of the root trauma.
Getting Help
If you or a loved one are experiencing symptoms of PTSD, do not hesitate to reach out to a therapist or counsellor. There are proven, effective treatment methods out there that can help you process trauma in a healthy manner so you can live more peacefully. Reach out to our office today to learn more about trauma treatment.
