Transcript
PTSD is a response to a traumatic event.
It's some distress that you're experiencing, usually
related to something traumatic that has happened to you,
and we notice PTSD by a certain set of symptoms.
So when we're talking about PTSD,
what I would explain to you as a Veteran is that
there are three categories that we look at.
You may be re-experiencing things over again,
so maybe you're having memories about them, things that
are coming into your mind about what happened to you.
You're having nightmares about them.
You're having some type of physical reaction to what happened,
and you're noticing that these things are happening
if you are reminded of the specific trauma.
There is also the hyper-vigilance part of it
where you may be noticing that you're easily startled
if something happened to you or if you hear something.
You may find it difficult to concentrate, sometimes.
You may find it difficult to sleep.
You may find that you are always on alert or always on guard.
Another thing is that there's a huge avoidance piece
that goes along with PTSD.
You may find that you try not to be around things
that remind you of what happened to you.
You may feel like you can't be around certain people,
you can't be around certain places, you don't even
want to have communication or contact with anything
that reminds you of that traumatic experience.
You don't want to feel those things over again,
so you may find yourself distancing yourself
from your family, from your friends.
You may also find that you are just completely
turned off to having any feelings at all,
so you may find yourself being numb.
So that's the way that I would explain PTSD to you.