Symptoms of PTSD   

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder will fall into three basic categories.

•    Reliving the event involves flashbacks, recurring memories of the trauma, dreams about the occurrence and physically reacting to situations that remind the patient of the event.

•    Avoidance is a common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder.  The patient can feel emotionally numb as if nothing matters with a sense of detachment.  The individual may not be able to remember the traumatic events.  In addition the patient may show no interest in every day activities and may not show much expression.  They will avoid anything that reminds them of the event.  In addition the afflicted individual feels hopeless regarding the future.

•    The patient can also experience intense emotional feelings including irritability or rage.  There may be difficulty sleeping or concentrating.  When the patient is startle they may over react. Many of these individuals are also hypervigilant.

Other symptoms include guilt for surviving the event, fainting, agitation, dizziness, palpitations, headache, and even fever.