Unnoticed & Undiagnosed: PTSD Symptoms in Women
Most people have a basic idea of what PTSD is and what it looks like. Unfortunately, many of those ideas come from stories, television shows, or movies. That creates a lot of stereotypes surrounding PTSD and makes it more difficult to recognize some of the most common symptoms fully.
Another problem PTSD stereotyping creates is an unequal balance in who is most affected. For example, when you think of someone with PTSD, who is the first person to come to mind? For many, it’s the classic image of a male American soldier.
While PTSD absolutely impacts military members and first responders, no one is immune to it. Men and women can both experience this disorder after going through a traumatic event. You might even be surprised to know that while men tend to experience more traumatic situations, women are more likely to meet the criteria for PTSD. That doesn’t mean they always receive the proper diagnosis, which can worsen the symptoms.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the common PTSD symptoms in women and what you should do if you’re experiencing them.
Common Causes of PTSD in Women
PTSD certainly doesn’t discriminate between men and women. However, the causes are often different. Anyone who experiences a traumatic event can end up having to deal with the disorder. For men, most traumatic events come from things like physical altercations. For women, some of the most common causes of PTSD include things like:
Domestic violence
Childhood abuse/neglect
Miscarriages
Death of a loved one
Sexual assault
What causes PTSD is important because eventually getting to that root cause and working through it is the best way to combat and eventually overcome the trauma. However, no matter what you experience, knowing some of the symptoms is just as important.
Signs of PTSD in Women
Men and women tend to experience many similar symptoms when it comes to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Things like flashbacks, nightmares, and reliving the event in your mind tend to happen to everyone who has been through a traumatic situation.
However, women with PTSD are more likely to deal with things like depression and anxiety. Men are more likely to push down their feelings and find other ways of coping. It’s not uncommon for men to turn to things like drugs, alcohol, or other unhealthy behaviors when dealing with this disorder.
Women tend to come forward more often, but it’s easy to get misdiagnosed if you aren’t aware of how your symptoms impact you. Some of the most common symptoms in women include:
Getting easily startled
Having difficulty feeling emotions
Going numb to things
Avoiding triggers and reminders
You might also feel nervous or tense more often than not. It’s not uncommon for people with PTSD to experience physical health issues, including everything from insomnia to digestive problems.
What Can You Do?
A proper diagnosis is necessary if you’ve been through a traumatic event or any of these symptoms sound familiar. PTSD can impact your daily life. You might be struggling with your mental health because of what happened years ago, and it doesn’t need to be that way forever. The first step is to talk to a mental health professional. While a support system of friends and family is important, they won’t be able to give you an official diagnosis or treatment plan.
If you’re a woman struggling with the effects of PTSD, don’t hesitate to contact us. Together, we’ll work through what happened in trauma therapy, as well as skills you can use to fight back against the negative symptoms and find some freedom from your experience.