Delayed Emotional Reaction

[Jerseygirl93]

Does anyone else have a problem with delayed emotional reactions? For example, a friend pissed me off and I thought I was fine but than about 13 hours later I dropped a spoon and all the rage I felt about it just came out.

Is this normal?

 

[rightkindofme]

I don't know about "normal" but I do this. For me I often don't feel safe having my emotions when they are immediately triggered so I have them later under safer conditions.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Yes, normal for ptsd. I can react up to 3 days later.

 

[Kintsugi]

I have delayed emotional reactions. I'm not sure it's specific to PTSD as I know others who have them who probably do not have PTSD, although it would not surprise me if it were much more common among the PTSD community.

I never panic in a true moment of danger/fear/crisis (like a near car accident, or when B hit a deer with my car, or when trying to control a horse I was riding, or even during extreme job stress or interpersonal turmoil with someone who is not "safe" to me), but I will fall apart as soon as it's completely over.

I used to come home from the restaurant I worked at, and something minor would happen, and I would just start sobbing from all of the stress I'd held back while working with jerks.

 

[Hope4Now]

Happens to me all the time. It's like my emotional processing freezes in the presence of others whether the situation is a feel-good one or not. It's not until later when I'm by myself and quiet that I actually have some shadow of what I should have experienced in the moment. I think it's just a lifelong freeze response that I am working hard to overcome. Normal? What's that?

 

[Deleted member 19804]

I have it too, although for me it started before my PTSD. I used to think being 'strong' when you were hurt was extremely important, so I have more or less taught myself to ignore emotional pain and keep going. Too bad it always comes back to bite you in the ass eventually.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I too have a delayed emotional response which is normal for me, as I have been this way my entire life.

I now look upon it as a learned survival skill that helped while I was growing up but needs to find better coping skills. I am learning and practicing and I still get caught off guard and have the delayed response which is not in my best interests.

It saved my life as child but it really hurts me now. I wish you the best as well.

 

[darrenS]

i have delayed reactions, the worst part is even though i know the reaction will come , i still take the initial misstep, and then battle with it. In the wrong circumstances my reactions at time have been quite aggressive and yes it has cost me. I am learning , very very slowly , its something i have to keep at the forefront of my mind when dealing with people. the problem is i initially want to please them above all else, i then realize what i done and feel enormous turmoil as to what the best course of action is to fix it, because i feel inn the course of it , i have cheapened or degrading who i am by my need to please response. And of course the guilt and shame follow ,

 

[Ronin]

Yep. Unless it's anger, fear or grief (and the second two tend to translate to anger right after quite often), it takes it a while to click. Sometimes months. Some took years.

 

[Jerseygirl93]

I hate it because it makes me come off as insincere and flip floppy when in reality I literally don't know what I'm feeling. I don't know. And than I explode at "stupid" stuff, which makes me look crazy.

 

[ghotiff]

problem is i initially want to please them above all else

I am very similar but mine is less about pleasing and more about appeasing.

Twice now on this forum I have wanted to defend myself against a misunderstanding but I have yet to be able to....and this is a safe place.

 

[Namenotdiagnosis]

I definately have the delayed reaction, I think for me and probably others i wait until I get home because that's where I feel the safest, then I explode !!!! Usually it will be over a minor thing , like I can't find something or I ran out of some basic foods etc.
for me personally as I hold a high position in my job its really difficult to go crazy there and then and I'd hate for my colleagues to see like that because unfortunately when I do lose it it lasts for ages, I did if once at work and it really frightened me and needless to say some of my colleagues !!!! They really milked it the day after about how scared they were, I did think thank god you've never seen me in my home because that was tame ! Lol
But Then I wake up the next day and feel stupid, and abnormal and embarassed by my behaviours and then promise myself I won't let it go that far, until the next time!!!! I'm not sure anymore of the meaning of normal and haven't done for a while!