10 Surprising Signs Of PTSD

When you’re under stress, a hormone known as cortisol will usually work to slow down certain systems that aren’t necessary at the time. While this is helpful during a temporary situation, prolonged release of cortisol can affect you negatively. For people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), their stress levels remain elevated and it can lead to permanently abnormal cortisol levels. As you might expect, some of the effects of PTSD can be physical as well. 10 Surprising Physical Signs Of PTSD 1. Skin That Scars Easily When reacting to stress, your body seeks to preserve its water supply. This can mean pulling moisture away from the skin. If your skin isn’t properly moisturized, it will have trouble repairing itself when you’ve been hurt and you’ll scar more easily.  2. Ringing In Your Ears PTSD affects the limbic part of our brain, which is responsible for stress regulation. Studies show that if this part of your brain goes into overdrive, it can cause tinnitus or ringing in the ears.  3. Inexplicable Weight Gain Cortisol affects weight gain and fat storage. Since the abdominal muscles have four times as many cortisol receptors as the rest of the body, you’re likely to gain...