ptsd for me is both mental and physical. The physical effects include uncontrolable shaking/trembling, increased heart rate, either fast shallow breathing or breath holding, nausa, vomiting, freezing on the spot, headaches, muscle tensing, restlessness, twitching, having to constanly move or tap feet/hands. also unfortunate side effects from medication to help control the anxiety from ptsd has landed me with the onset of diabetes so ptsd wins in screwing up lives all round!

it feels like my body betrays me and i have little control over the symptoms severity at times. This is not good when your body and mind seem to shut down while crossing the road as i can freeze on the spot and need someone to intervene so that i move out of the line of traffic. Hope this helps

For me, it's sheer exhaustion, irritable bowel syndrome (drives me absolutely nuts!), nausea, and heartburn... I'm not on meds because I chickened out just as she was making an appointment with a psychiatrist. Meds scare me something awful.

yes. Headaches are the worst for me. I get tired and worn but my worst physical symptom are the headaches. I never got them before the trauma. I never really knew what one was. Now I get them all the time, especially when Im really feeling the psychological effects of PTSD.

the tiredness that comes with depression, the anxiety causes shaking, muscles twitching, stomach pain, throat closing up, tight neck and shoulders, headaches, insomnia,that crazy startle thing--that's enough to make you crazy right there.

I would say, as my doctors also would say, that most of my chronic health problems:angry-fla sorry, my dh just put that in there. As I was saying, my chronic healths problems relate to trauma and then the holding it in for so many years. I started having health problems early in my twenties, and they have progressed to the point that I applied for disability 3 years ago since I can only work part-time now, and couldn't work for several years because of PTSD.

I have suffered from IBS, Interstitial cystitis, GERD, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Ulcers, pain syndromes, and then of course suicidal depression, PTSD, disassociation, etc.

I am now able to work a few hours a week, as mentally I am in much better shape than I have been for 6-7 years. But physically I am going downhill, with other problems presenting themselves that are a result of genetics and age.

So with a resounding YES I would say that PTSD has affected my physical and emotional well-being from childhood.

:crazy-eye

I get headaches often, have muscle spasms, panic atacks, I don't sleep well, my body aches at times and I feel too nauseated to eat.

I startle easly and will freeze, unable to move, while I try and get some control over the run run run going through my mine.

So, yes, I'd have to say PTSD does affect me physically and mentally.
Though it would be interesting to see how it affects people socio-economically too.

Oh it definitely affects me both ways--anxiety, depression, headaches, lack of sleep, problems concentrating etc...

Abosolutely! I have symptoms from the past and present which differ in severity and type. Past being more severe, present symptoms more controlled.
Some present physical symptoms being:
Exaggerated and unexplained fatigue and weariness,
specific physical pain / body memories.
Sky-high anxiety, depression bouts, Inability to control mind and relaxation / hypervigilant,
Nasuea, headaches and……Past: sudden and severe onset of one or combo of physical symptoms:
Loss of appetite, shaking, choking sensation
hyperventilation, bodily numbeness,
uncontrollable and exaggerated jerking of arm,
nasuea, seizure activity, loss of muscle control,
amnesiac and/or fugue state of mind, periods of unreasonable adrenaline, physical need to vomit, ulcers.

I know that my anxiety is climbing when I feel my muscles begin to tense or hurt. Most of the time it starts around my bellybutton (don't ask me why) and spreads outwards. Sometimes I get random spots of muscle tension. I've finally realized that it's my body's way of trying to get my attention that I'm letting things get to me or that I need to pay attention to what's going on around me and work on getting my anxiety back down.

I've also noticed that I run out of energy so much sooner than I used to. After work, all I want to do is just sit and watch TV or read. Sometimes the energy it takes just to have a conversation feels like too much. When I have a good day with lots of energy (mostly weekends) I get as much done as I can because I know that I'm gonna crash sooner than usual. I exercise (yoga and fencing) but sometimes it takes all of my willpower just to get my butt out the front door.

Physically I start trembling/shaking sometimes sevrely out of control, heart palpitations, my ankle starts to hurt, and I get headaches. I can't stand for too long because I feel faint due to exhaustion. Also, I get sick when the ptsd gets worse.

Mentally I change completely almost. I don't trust people, I don't feel safe, I isolate myself thinking that's the only way for me to stay safe, anxiety kicks in, and I'm just exhausted mentally.