Wool Goddess

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is often misunderstood. For some, it follows one life-altering incident. For others, like me, it’s the aftermath of many experiences, layered one upon another. During therapy I was once asked, “Tell me about the incident.” I had to ask back, “Which one?”

That’s the thing about PTSD, it’s not always tied to one single moment. It can be a collection of traumas, each one leaving its own mark. Over the years, I’ve built countless coping mechanisms. And yes, I do enjoy creating and surrounding myself with beauty in my life. But PTSD doesn’t just disappear. It can lie quiet for a while, then reappear suddenly, without warning, at certain times, situations, or even seasons of life.

What PTSD Really Is

PTSD is a mental health condition that develops after experiencing or witnessing trauma. It’s not about weakness or an inability to “move on.” It’s your brain and body trying to keep you safe, sometimes long after the danger has passed.

Each person’s experience of PTSD is unique. Two people can go through the same event and be impacted in completely different ways. That’s why comparison doesn’t help. What matters is recognising your own symptoms and finding ways to manage them.

Common Symptoms of PTSD

While everyone’s journey looks different, here are some symptoms many people experience:

• Reliving aspects of what happened
• Vivid flashbacks (feeling like the trauma is happening right now)
• Intrusive thoughts or images
• Nightmares
• Distress at reminders of the trauma
• Physical reactions like sweating, nausea, trembling
• Hyper-alertness or feeling on edge
• Panic when reminded of the trauma
• Irritability or bursts of anger
• Hypervigilance (always “on guard”)
• Disturbed or little sleep
• Difficulty concentrating
• Being easily startled
• Avoiding feelings or memories
• Keeping constantly busy
• Avoiding people, places, or things that remind you of trauma
• Emotional numbness or disconnection
• Self-destructive behaviours
• Relying on alcohol or drugs to block memories
• Difficult beliefs and emotions
• Feeling you can’t trust anyone
• Believing nowhere is safe
• Feeling misunderstood or isolated
• Self-blame for what happened
• Intense guilt, shame, sadness, or anger

One of the hardest parts is the exhaustion. The lack of sleep, (although I don’t get this I have included it as for so many it is the biggest battle) the constant feeling of never being fully at peace or safe it takes a toll on the body as much as the mind.

If this section interests you about how the stress affects the body then I recommend you read: “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” Book by Bessel van der Kolk. It explained to me my diagnosis of Fibromyalgia.

Why Does PTSD Affect the Body Too?

When we feel threatened, our body floods us with hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This is the body’s natural “fight, flight, or freeze” response. But with PTSD, the body doesn’t always switch off. It keeps producing those hormones even when the danger has passed, which is why symptoms like hypervigilance, jumpiness, and anxiety show up.

That’s also why many people experience physical symptoms too: headaches, chest pain, stomach issues, dizziness. Trauma lives in the body as much as in the mind.

Living With PTSD

For me, managing PTSD is a careful balancing act. I’ve had therapy, I take medication, and I’ve learned to avoid certain triggers and situations that tip the balance too far. But it’s not about erasing it, it’s about living alongside it.

Today, after another therapy session, I’ve been placed on the waiting list for high-intensity therapy. Because as much as I’ve managed, I know this is still a scab that bleeds out into my magic. It interrupts the life I want to live. And I want to reclaim that space.

A Gentle Reminder

If you live with PTSD, know this: your experience is valid, your survival is remarkable, and your healing is possible. Your story doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. Coping mechanisms, therapy, medication, mindfulness, creativity, whatever tools you use, are part of your resilience, not signs of weakness.

You can love beauty, laugh with friends, build a life you adore, and still carry PTSD. Both can be true. And that’s okay.

Love & healing hugs