What it can feel like
- Nightmares, intrusive memories, or feeling as though it is happening again
- Avoiding reminders, conversations, places, or closeness
- Numbness, shame, guilt, detachment, or difficulty trusting
- Being easily startled, irritable, watchful, or unable to sleep
What an evaluation considers
A clinician considers the experience, timing, present safety, avoidance, mood and alertness changes, dissociation, substance use, sleep, and functional impact.
First steps
Focus first on present safety and grounding. Reduce isolation, avoid forcing a detailed retelling before you are ready, and look for a trauma-informed clinician.