PTSD stories
from our community

Read featured PTSD stories from our community then contribute your own to build a better picture and understanding of post traumatic stress disorder.

Photo used with permission by member Dani Eason, see the story here.

Understanding and
overcoming PTSD

Everyone experiences these issues differently as there’s such a large spectrum of causes and severity when struggling with post traumatic stress disorder. That’s why we believe in the power of stories and using therapeutic photography to help people open up and break the silence as a way to better understand these mental health issues for ourselves and everyone else.

Community insights on PTSD

Darkness

We see visually and through member’s words that PTSD also represents a darkness within their minds that is often avoided.

Internal Prison

Members speak about PTSD as if feeling like they’re stuck or trapped within their minds or bodies and the reactions to triggers.

Numb

Members also speak about feeling emotionally numb in their stories of PTSD.

An example of using the visual metaphor for silence and feeling imprisoned to
represent the experience or symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder, by member Trena Wall. See the story.

PTSD Symptoms

Post traumatic stress disorder will often disrupt your normal routines and functioning by having sounds, words, or certain situations triggering the past trauma, which can lead to the following symptoms that fall under 4 categories:

1) Intrusion

flashbacks feeling like you relive the same event again and again
frequent nightmares about the traumatic event
vivid, unpleasant memories of the traumatic event
intense mental or physical distress when thinking about the traumatic event

2) Avoidance

avoiding people, places, or situations that remind you of the traumatic event

3) Arousal and reactivity

bouts of anger
difficulty concentrating
startling easily and having an exaggerated response
feeling on edge constantly
irritability

4) Cognition and mood

negative thoughts about yourself
distorted feelings of guilt, worry, or blame
reduced interest in activities you once loved
trouble remembering important parts of the event

PTSD stories from member Dani Eason, representing her post traumatic stress disorder
in a photograph with darkness. See the story.

Stories about PTSD we’re requesting

PTSD Stories	Priority	Status
Stories of overcoming PTSD	High	Open
PTSD flashbacks	High	Open
PTSD diagnosis	High	Open
What does PTSD look like	High	Open
What does PTSD feel like	High	Open
What does PTSD do to the body	High	Open
How does PTSD feel	High	Open
How does PTSD develop	High	Open
Typical PTSD thoughts	High	Open
Dealing with PTSD	High	Open
Dealing with PTSD in children	High	Open
Dealing with PTSD at work	High	Open
Dealing with PTSD during exams	High	Open
Dealing with PTSD attacks	High	Open
How to deal with PTSD	High	Open
How to get rid of PTSD	High	Open
How to talk about PTSD	High	Open
Understanding someone with PTSD	High	Open
What causes PTSD	High	Open

How photography can help with PTSD

The act of taking photos can be a form of mindfulness, and shares many of the same practices or principles, which can help to calm and focus the mind
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PTSD can be overwhelming — which makes it hard to put into words what it feels like, especially for someone who has never experienced it before. Using non-verbal communication through photos allows people to expand their vocabulary to convey what they are going through. In the example above, we have blurred movement, which is a common theme we see from members to help convey post traumatic stress disorder.
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More and more studies are showing the benefits of being out in Nature to help relieve anxiety, stress, and depression. For many people, photography provides more of a motivation to get outside in Nature on a regular basis and explore new areas.