~PTSD - IT'S DAILY EXPRESSION ~
The following lists just a few of the delayed stress responses that occur in Veterans suffering from PTSD. They may
sound familiar to you and the people closest to you. But, you and they may even deny these reactions when they appear. There are other telling clues that you may be suffering from PTSD. Let's run through a number of the reactions, looking a few specific ways they might be expressed in your daily life.
Intrusive Thoughts and Flashbacks
Do you find yourself 're-playing' combat experiences in your mind, trying to find a different outcome to what actually happened? Do everyday experiences such as these trigger flashbacks: the sound of a helicopter? the smell of urine? the smell of diesel? the smell of mold? the smell of Asian food cooking? green tree lines? rainy days? or seeing Asians in the street?
Anger
Do you take your anger out against inanimate objects or your loved ones? Are you subject to a quiet, masked rage which frightens you and those around you? Are unable to identify or handle things that frustrate you? Is your anger unexplainable or
inappropriate/excessive to the situation? Do you believe that God abandoned you in Vietnam?
Isolation
Do you have very few, or no friends? Do, or have you isolated yourself from family members - either emotionally or geographically? Do you have a 'leave me alone' attitude about your loved ones, or feel that you need no one? Do you
fantasize about becoming a 'hermit' and moving away from your problems? Do you believe that no one can understand you or would listen if you tried to talk about your experiences?
Anxiety and Nervousness
Are you startled by loud noises like fireworks, vehicles back-firing? Do these sounds propel you into a state of combat readiness? Are you uncomfortable when people walk
closely behind you or sit behind you? Are you generally suspicious of others? Do you feel that you can trust no one?
Emotional Constriction
Are you unable to talk about your personal emotions? Do you find it impossible to achieve intimacy with your family, wife or friends? Have you been accused of being 'cold' towards your kids when they are hurting? Do you repress your feelings?
Depression
Do you often feel helpless, worthless and dejected? Do you usually feel insecure? Do your good feelings seem undeserved? Are you sometimes unable to handle it when things are going well, and you try to sabotage your success or well-being? Do you often feel that life is not worth the effort? Do you feel that your life has been
foreshortened? Do you often wish you had never heard of Vietnam?
Substance Abuse
Do you use alcohol or drugs (pharmaceutical or illicit) regularly? Do you smoke continuously, regardless of knowing the harm you are doing to yourself? Do they 'numb' you pain, memories, or relieve guilt? Do others think you rely upon liquor or drugs too much?
Conclusion
Some of the foregoing symptoms of PTSD may hit you pretty close to the bone. In fact, we may have just tripped your wire! If so, stop reading now, close the site after
book marking it, and come back to it when you're ready to continue. You may feel pressured or that your feelings are writhing inside you. Stay with us, because there is a way out.