I was in a bubble, just kind of floating. And it was scary. Having a flashback can wring you out. The rape happened the week before Christmas, and I feel like a werewolf around the anniversary date. I can't believe the transformation into anxiety and fear.
Ordinary events can serve as reminders of the trauma and trigger flashbacks or intrusive images.
Anniversaries of the event are often very difficult. Often, people with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. PTSD, once referred to as shell shock or battle fatigue, was first brought to public attention by war veterans, but it can result from any number of traumatic incidents. These include kidnapping, serious accidents such as car or train wrecks, natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes, violent attacks such as a mugging, rape, or torture, or being held captive. The event that triggers it may be something that threatened the person's life or the life of someone close to him or her.