Could a person get post traumatic stress disorder from a paranormal event? Is paranormal PTSD a real thing?
Any event, real or imagined, that results in intrusive memories, nightmares, being easily startled, hypervigilance, avoiding the place where the event happened, feelings of hopelessness, negative thoughts and emotions, numbness, sleep disturbances, dissociation, mood instability, engaging in self-destructive behavior, aggressiveness, and/or overwhelming guilt or shame could cause post traumatic stress disorder.
I have worked in a psychiatric facility that did not take this seriously. The lead psychiatrist thought that the client’s story was a result of delusions. He would not discharge her until she recanted her story.
This is the same type of treatment that child molestation victims and rape victims endure. It can lead to deepening the trauma. This is why people don’t talk and suffer needlessly. Everyone deserves to be heard, believed, and supported.
The challenges related to paranormal PTSD are that there may be no memory of the event. There may be no way to prove what happened. Often there is no physical evidence. The event may also threaten the victim’s faith and reality paradigm. All these things can make it hard to accept that the event was real and heal from it.
Finding a qualified professional to help with paranormal induced PTSD is not easy, but it’s becoming more available. If you have suffered from a paranormal event that has left you emotionally damaged and would like some help, please reach out. You won’t be laughed at or disbelieved here.