Anyone can experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is certainly not limited by gender. However, just like with many other mental and physical conditions, women and men can exhibit different symptoms. It’s important to understand how conditions like PTSD can manifest in men and women so that you can recognize the symptoms.

Understanding PTSD symptoms is often the key to getting professional help as early as possible and starting your healing journey. If you are a woman who has lived through a traumatic event recently, or you’re still dealing with unprocessed trauma from your past, be mindful of these symptoms that could indicate PTSD.

Severe Anxiety

For many women, PTSD leads to high levels of anxiety. You might even deal with physical symptoms as a result of your anxiety, like stomachaches, headaches, muscle tension, or lightheadedness.

You may feel like your nervous system is always on overdrive. Yet nothing you do to calm yourself down really works. Your anxiety could affect your ability to function in everyday life, especially if you struggle to pay attention at work or in school.

Hyper-vigilance

Women with PTSD often experience hyper-vigilance. You may be extremely jumpy, and the slightest unexpected noise could startle you. While you might try to laugh it off in front of your friends, deep down inside, you feel frightened and uncomfortable. Dealing with hyper-vigilance can make you feel awkward or embarrassed in front of others.

It can also leave you tossing and turning at night. You may wake up in the middle of the night if you think you hear something in your home, and it can be tough to get back to sleep. Essentially, hyper-vigilance can be exhausting.

Guilt and Shame

Many women internalize guilt for things that were not their fault. Society teaches women that they have to be responsible for the emotions of everyone else around them, and that if someone else hurts them, they should have known better and avoided getting into that situation in the first place.

It’s crucial to understand that trauma is never your fault. It is entirely the fault of the perpetrator, or just an unlucky circumstance in the case of car accidents or natural disasters. However, in the aftermath of trauma, lots of women struggle with deep-seated guilt and shame over what happened because they have been taught that if only they had acted differently, it wouldn’t have occurred.

Avoiding Triggers

Even women who have not lived through trauma are generally quite careful about their safety. But women with PTSD are extremely careful about avoiding possible triggers. You may do your best to stay away from places, people, or situations that bring back any reminders of your trauma.

This can seriously interfere with your daily life, and make it difficult to get anything done. You may find yourself going for long stretches of time without seeing your loved ones, simply because you do not want to leave your home.

Emptiness and Numbness

Depression commonly accompanies PTSD. But depression does not always mean feeling sad. Instead, depression can often bring feelings of emptiness and numbness. For women with PTSD, depression can sap your will to do much of anything.

Some days, you might not even have the energy to get out of bed. You may feel like simply feeding yourself and showering are difficult. Depression can drain you of your energy and motivation. Since PTSD and depression frequently go hand-in-hand, you can end up living with symptoms of both conditions. This numbness can make it hard to seek treatment.

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Are you struggling with symptoms of PTSD? Talking to a therapist can help. Reach out to us today to discuss your options for scheduling your first session with trauma therapy.