Ptsd symptoms make everyday stuff harder than it should be

Trauma, Stress, PTSD
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Even basic errands can feel way bigger than they should when PTSD symptoms are acting up. A crowded store, a sudden noise, or someone walking too close behind me can put me straight into alert mode. My body reacts before I even have time to think about what’s happening.

Then there’s the exhaustion afterward. Something that took twenty minutes can leave me drained for the rest of the day. I’ve started giving myself more time and trying not to treat every setback like a personal failure, but that’s still hard sometimes.

Does anyone else find that ordinary tasks take more out of them than the actual stressful event?

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@Kara_Kerr, the exhaustion afterward can be just as difficult as the alertness itself. I can do a quick errand and then feel like I need to recover for hours, even if nothing visibly “bad” happened.

Giving myself extra time has helped some, especially leaving space afterward instead of packing my whole day. I’m still working on not judging myself for needing that recovery time.