For some reason, in the world today, there is still a big stigma against mental health, especially some mental health conditions like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD for example.

This stigma can cause a lot of beliefs that aren’t necessarily true to circulate and misinform individuals who may actually be suffering from PTSD of their own.

Anyone who experiences a traumatic event can develop signs and symptoms of PTSD. Both women and men can show signs of PTSD, but they may experience it differently from one another.

Women are actually more likely to develop PTSD compared to men, but for some reason, they aren’t as likely to seek treatment. Here are some of the signs that women with PTSD may be dealing with.

Avoidance

Avoidance is one of the most common symptoms of PTSD that women can experience. The avoidance could happen emotionally or physically. For example, women may try to emotionally avoid the thoughts or feelings associated with their trauma. Physically avoiding their trauma can mean avoiding certain people, places, or situations that could be a potential trigger. Avoiding certain places, people, and things can be a great solution in the short term, but it isn’t a long-term solution to the trauma. In fact, avoidance is actually proven to make PTSD symptoms worse over time.

Emotional Numbness

Women internalize a lot of their thoughts and feelings. They tend to show a similar pattern with PTSD. A woman who experiences trauma is more likely to self-isolate or withdraw from loved ones or events and activities they once enjoyed as a way to try to cope. While men may lean towards the use of drugs and alcohol, women are more likely to internalize their negative feelings and thoughts and developed other mental health problems like anxiety or even depresison.

Flashbacks

Trauma is never easy. Unfortunately, a symptom of PTSD is experiencing trauma in the form of flashbacks. A lot of women can experience unwanted thoughts, feelings, or memories that are related to the trauma that occurred. This can cause an individual to feel like they’re reliving the trauma all over again. Some flashbacks or nightmares may even feel so real that the individual may not be able to recognize if it’s a flashback or if it’s happening again. This sensation can trigger the body into going into defense mode even though no real threat is present.

Hyperarousal

Anxiety is a common symptom that most people who experience PTSD deal with. Women are more likely to experience hyperarousal compared to their male counterparts though. Hyperarousal is a heightened state of anxiety. This state can cause an individual to experience other signs and symptoms like problems concentrating or difficulty sleeping. They also may experience feelings of irritability, signs of panic attacks, and heightened reflexes. Hyperarousal can cause the brain’s natural fight-or-flight response to go a little haywire.

Next Steps

If you’re experiencing signs or symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, one of the best things you can do is reach out for help and support. Only a licensed and trained mental health professional like a therapist or a counselor will be able to adequately diagnose you if you’re showing signs and symptoms of PTSD.

It may feel like you’ll never be able to overcome the signs and symptoms you’re facing, but that isn’t the case. PTSD can be treated. It just takes a little time, dedication, and commitment. Working with a therapist can help you get to the root cause of your PTSD. Over time, they’ll be able to help you reframe some of those negative thoughts and replace those negative feelings with more positive ones.

Recovery is possible. Your PTSD does not define you. If you’re interested in learning more about coping mechanisms and ways to move forward in your life again, reach out to us today to set up a consultation for trauma therapy.