PTSD has three categories of symptoms: hyperarousal, reexperiencing, and numbing. All three categories can exist at the same time, or they can be experienced in stages.
For this blog entry, I'll focus on one part of the hyperarousal category: hypervigilance. This is the feeling of intense alert to perceived danger. It's important to note that the danger doesn't have to be there; it can just be perceived. However, to the survivor, it is there. The survivor may feel a threat when in fact there is none. Therefore, it is important for the partner not to dismiss the survivor's sense of danger, but rather, validate it and concentrate on maintaining a safe environment.
I know I stress safety a lot in these posts. Remember, PTSD always comes from a set of circumstances outside the survivor's control, and they are always put in a position of danger—that is, not safe. When helping your survivor, safety is always of the utmost concern. It is the single greatest thing you can do as the partner to help your survivor get through whatever set of symptoms are plaguing your survivor.
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