the most common sign from my SO is shaking. Hands and feet first then whole leg. Slowly at first gradually going faster than I would think possible. Next stage she just freezes and stares off in space unable to communicate. Another sign is head pressure. When that happens I know she is about to go into a more physical state like Tlight's flashback. Hope this helps
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General Physical Signs Of Being Triggered
- Post starter ashmarie
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BrazenBull
Silver Member
I just fiddle with my hands till I relax xD
But I'v been told by others that I have a bad habit of looking everywhere every few seconds when walking around in an open area or a crowded area. If I'm not feeling well I just sort of just sit there and stare as if im day dreaming, but I don't think much of everything and I try to ignore all the sounds and sights around me.
But the thing that really bothers people is my jumpiness and muscle twitches when someone touches me or talks to me, I can never look into a persons eyes too xD
But I'v been told by others that I have a bad habit of looking everywhere every few seconds when walking around in an open area or a crowded area. If I'm not feeling well I just sort of just sit there and stare as if im day dreaming, but I don't think much of everything and I try to ignore all the sounds and sights around me.
But the thing that really bothers people is my jumpiness and muscle twitches when someone touches me or talks to me, I can never look into a persons eyes too xD
Warning Signs:
Cold chemical feeling in my throat, small pulses of pain in my head, avoid eye contact, become very agitated. Very snappy if people ask me questions. My spine curls down like a question mark, I grind my teeth and my breathing becomes rapid and my heart pounds. If someone confronts me I will hide my face and usually try to get away from them. I sometimes feel like vomiting, loss of appetite. When people talk to me I don't hear words its is like jibberish.
Cold chemical feeling in my throat, small pulses of pain in my head, avoid eye contact, become very agitated. Very snappy if people ask me questions. My spine curls down like a question mark, I grind my teeth and my breathing becomes rapid and my heart pounds. If someone confronts me I will hide my face and usually try to get away from them. I sometimes feel like vomiting, loss of appetite. When people talk to me I don't hear words its is like jibberish.
''everyone is the enemy'', avoiding eye contact/seeing through people, flush skin, voice gets quiet, can't respond to conversations it's like hollow blurry echoes?, panic attacks(sometimes fainting/blacking out), sometimes I get really angry. I'll retreat from where I am, need to ''go home''. Veins either shrink really small or expand really large(pains in chest). Cold sweating. Flexing shoulders, or arms, or legs. Tunnel vision. Some of these aren't physical from the outside observer, but they happen.
In short, anger, fear, or disassociation sometimes blends of all three.
In short, anger, fear, or disassociation sometimes blends of all three.
Both my son and I start sighing when our anxiety is rising. It's actually the first physical sign we have before we get anywhwere near overload. As soon as I realize I'm sighing I start working on coping skills and de-stressing to avoid the overloads and I'm slowly teaching my son that also.
bec
bec
The Albatross
VIP Member
I stop breathing... breath hold, and have to consciously cue myself to breathe. Clench the jaw. Avoiding eye contact... I can tell when I'm doing it because sometimes people will turn and look over their shoulder to see what I am looking at. Things seem to slow down long enough for me to process... though I've been told that my reaction time seems normal and it all happens in a split second. I lose body sensation either entirely or part of the way... sometimes it's only not feeling my arms or legs... sometimes I can only feel my head. Other times, I "remote view" (stay in the room but be somewhere else but muffle the conversation and I have no physical sensation at all) or I bail completely and have "lost time" (rare but they do occur). Those are cues I can use to take a time out and ground myself again.
When I did the testing with a psychotherapist, and a month of intensive therapy to determine if I was clinically depressed about 4 years ago, she said it was just a built in safety mechanism that I use to protect my psyche because I was taught that being in my body during trauma, fright, or triggers is not safe.
When I did the testing with a psychotherapist, and a month of intensive therapy to determine if I was clinically depressed about 4 years ago, she said it was just a built in safety mechanism that I use to protect my psyche because I was taught that being in my body during trauma, fright, or triggers is not safe.
No Folded Hands
Bronze Member
hmmm..that's an interesting question...what does it look like to someone else, and what does it feel like tot he person with PTSD? I remember being very surprised the first time someone said to me that I had been "triggered". I had called a crisis line while attending an off campus course at which I was notallowed to do any self-care, and the crisis line person based his assessment on the sounds I was making (ie crying while talking, breathing hard, trouble saying much).
From my side, there is usually a clear progression (now that I have learned to recognize it) but the sequence can speed up depending on how stressed out I already am when it starts. It's something like this: first: basic fight or flight responses --dilation of pupils, increase in heart and breathing rates-- next, narrowing of focus --eg can hear the professor lecture but can't understand the words, concentrating too hard on every individual in the crowded room and all the openings into it that could harbor danger-- finally, physical action appropriate to the situation. That really just means either a) smashing keyboards and the like if I am at home or b) getting up and running away if I am anywhere else, including literally going over the top of or through anyone or anything in the way of the most direct or safest way out, and continuing to run until I have reached a "safe place". From what I have heard, from the outside this looks like : first: scared of something next, either "spooked" or "daydreaming/not paying attention".
I have friends who expect me to just say "I need to get out of here" and then GO when whatever it is starts bothering me. They either follow moire slowly or simply come and find me in a few minutes, because they know I will stop as soon as I can feel safe enough to do so, and that will be someplace I can monitor the exit they need to use if possible and if not possible they know what sort of areas to look for me in.
From my side, there is usually a clear progression (now that I have learned to recognize it) but the sequence can speed up depending on how stressed out I already am when it starts. It's something like this: first: basic fight or flight responses --dilation of pupils, increase in heart and breathing rates-- next, narrowing of focus --eg can hear the professor lecture but can't understand the words, concentrating too hard on every individual in the crowded room and all the openings into it that could harbor danger-- finally, physical action appropriate to the situation. That really just means either a) smashing keyboards and the like if I am at home or b) getting up and running away if I am anywhere else, including literally going over the top of or through anyone or anything in the way of the most direct or safest way out, and continuing to run until I have reached a "safe place". From what I have heard, from the outside this looks like : first: scared of something next, either "spooked" or "daydreaming/not paying attention".
I have friends who expect me to just say "I need to get out of here" and then GO when whatever it is starts bothering me. They either follow moire slowly or simply come and find me in a few minutes, because they know I will stop as soon as I can feel safe enough to do so, and that will be someplace I can monitor the exit they need to use if possible and if not possible they know what sort of areas to look for me in.
blueangel371115
Platinum Member
I go cold, my throat chokes up. I can feel my heart pounding. I hyperventilate alot. Then I go into rages sometimes but most of the time, I just freeze like deer in the headlights.
It's really an odd feeling.
I too get very bad head pain/presure. I will shake my legs, slowly at first then the pace picks up, some times my whole body feels like it is shaking. I do not make eye contact, my breathing becomes heavy and my mouth very dry. I can not hear people clearly it is like I am in a tunnel and can only make out sounds not words. Sometimes I will pass out for a few min. and when I awake the symptoms are gone. I become very tired after one of these episodes.
My shoulders clench up toward my chin and I clench my jaw tightly. Apparently this is a reaction to feeling threatened. I never realized I did this until therapy but now I notice and actively try to stop when I catch myself. It definitely causes pain from my head to my tail bone. The body doesn't lie.
I have found a new thing that is happening just over the past week. I have a twitch in my eye that people can see. I can feel it but nothing I can do will stop it. Interesting thing is I am on spring break this week and it has stopped all together. I think it is from the stress of work.
Other than that I don't know what it looks like to other people. I think I am quiet and snappy. I feel dizzy, like I am choking and my heart is pounding. I lose sensation in my limbs and feel like I am watching everything on TV, like I am outside of my body. Other times I have had my limbs feel like they were burning and everything looks stretched out. It's hard to explain.
Other than that I don't know what it looks like to other people. I think I am quiet and snappy. I feel dizzy, like I am choking and my heart is pounding. I lose sensation in my limbs and feel like I am watching everything on TV, like I am outside of my body. Other times I have had my limbs feel like they were burning and everything looks stretched out. It's hard to explain.
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