Common PTSD Symptoms and How They May Look Different in Women

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can impact anyone who has been through a traumatic event. However, studies have shown that women are more likely to experience symptoms of PTSD than men. 

That’s due to a number of different factors, from the type of trauma women tend to experience, to emotional responses, genetics, and even societal norms. 

PTSD symptoms are very similar for both men and women. However, there are a few ways in which women might display them differently. 

Let’s take a look at some of the most common signs of PTSD and how they might look a bit different in women. If you feel you’re dealing with some of these symptoms on a daily basis, it’s never too late to get help. 

Avoidant Behavior

It’s not uncommon for anyone to be more avoidant after a traumatic event. That includes avoiding anything that might trigger reminders of the trauma. But, it can also include staying away from people, in general. 

Women are often more likely to be avoidant when dealing with PTSD. This is largely a defense mechanism. When you avoid things — even people you know are there to support you — you reduce your risk of experiencing any triggers or reminders of what traumatized you in the first place. 

Unfortunately, staying away from your support system and the things you love can only make other symptoms worse and wreak havoc on your mental well-being. 

Hyper-Vigilance

Women are also more likely to feel like they have to be on guard after a traumatic event. Do you always feel like you have to look over your shoulder? Do you have a hard time sleeping at night? Maybe you’re easily startled or you’re always on edge to the point where people have started to notice. 

Again, this is a defense mechanism while dealing with PTSD. If you’re hyper-vigilant, you might think you’ll be prepared if something else tries to create a disturbance in your life.

This kind of hyper-vigilance can keep you from enjoying life. When you’re always wondering what’s around the corner or you’re living in fear, it can create a lot of anxiety and keep you living in fear, even when there are no threats around you. 

Being unable to turn off your hyper-vigilance can make it difficult to get a good night’s rest. It’s not uncommon for women with PTSD to have issues sleeping, which can exacerbate other issues like depression even more. 

Difficulty Concentrating

Always living on guard can make it hard to focus on anything else. PTSD can cause you to have difficulties concentrating on important things in your life, including your career and relationships. You might appear easily distracted, or you might “daydream” frequently, even if those dreams aren’t exactly present. 

Not being able to stay focused can create problems in nearly every area of your life. You might even start to get frustrated with yourself, which can lead to an increase in irritability and angry outbursts. 

What Can You Do?

When you’re dealing with PTSD, your symptoms might not show up right away. Some people go years without truly realizing what they’re going through, but emotions will always demand to be felt. Being able to understand them can help you eventually manage them while overcoming the impact of trauma. 

One of the best things you can do to start dealing with PTSD is to work with a therapist. Therapy will help you dig deeper into the root cause of your trauma. From there, your therapist can help with symptom management techniques so you can start taking control of your life again. 

If you’re a woman struggling with the symptoms of PTSD, don’t hesitate to contact me to learn more about trauma therapy. Your trauma doesn’t have to define your future.