General Sufferer Ticks

[Clarity3]

Hi all,

I've noticed my sufferer who is a combat vet has some interesting "ticks" outside the usual isolating, hypervigilance, etc.

One thing I've noticed recently is that when he scans people, he seems to specifically look at their waist/middle area. For instance, before all this social distancing started, we were walking out of an office supply store. As we were almost out the door, he turned completely around to look at a lady who was still in line waiting to pay and was holding some type of printer cartridge or something. I saw he looked at what she was holding, then he turned back around and kept walking like nothing. I used to think he was just doing that to check people out, but then I realized he was doing it pretty indiscriminately.

What little ticks have you noticed in your sufferer?

 

[Sweetpea76]

Scanning... mine is constantly scanning his surroundings and sizing them up. You wouldn’t even notice he’s doing it. He does it a lot in the car. Sides of the road and other vehicles.

If he hears something he puts his arm up and make a fist... that’s my cue to stfu so he can listen for what it is. For a guy with hearing loss he hears a lot of random noise I wouldn’t notice.

 

[Clarity3]

Ah yes, mine does the whole noticing every car thing too!

 

[Sweetpea76]

These things are wrapped up in their trauma. They’re skills they’ve learned, which became habits, which were reinforced because they saved their lives or kept them safe. Then the hypervig makes it worse.

For example, the driving thing with my vet, he’s looking for IEDs, and watching for VBIEDs.... even here in the US Midwest, even though he’s been home from Iraq 13-14 years. The scanning is checking the layout, finding the possible exits, then looking for potential insurgents, weapons, explosive devices or anything else that sets off his spidey-sense.

 

[LuckiLee]

Ah yes. Lots of "ticks". I find myself doing some of them now.

Always carries a knife. Scans rooftops for snipers.
Does daily perimeter checks around the house.
Checks door locks multiple times a day.
Always backs into a parking spot.

The list goes on...
He doesn't realize he does most of them because they are now muscle memory.

 

[Clarity3]

Omg didn’t even realize until I just saw your list that mine literally does all those as well!

 

[Sweetpea76]

Mine still carries the knife he carried in Iraq. Perimeter checks always in the dark... don’t dare turn on a flashlight near him.