PTSD: Signs and Symptoms

This information is for people affected by PTSD in England who are 18 or over. It’s also for their carers, friends and relatives and anyone interested in this subject. Treatment studies specifically designed to examine clinical outcomes of psychological and pharmacological treatment of PTSD in those with versus without the dissociative subtype are needed. However, we do know that individuals with dissociative PTSD may require treatments designed to directly reduce depersonalization and derealization. For such individuals, exposure treatment can lead to further dissociation and inhibition of affective response, rather than the goal of cognitive behavioral/exposure therapy, which is desensitization and cognitive restructuring.

Current Diagnostic Classification

Reliving responses are, therefore, thought to be mediated by failure of prefrontal inhibition or top-down control of limbic regions. In contrast, the group who exhibited symptoms of depersonalization and derealization showed increased activation in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex. Depersonalization/derealization responses are suggested to be mediated by midline prefrontal inhibition of the limbic regions (5,6). It’s important to note that anxiety blackouts are not the same as fainting or seizures.

The Role of Professional Help

Anxiety-induced blackouts typically do not have an underlying neurological or cardiovascular cause and are instead triggered by the body’s response to anxiety and stress. In order to prevent PTSD blackouts, you need to control the PTSD as a whole. As we mentioned in Part 1 of this guide, blackouts develop because your mind is having trouble processing current thoughts and feelings. You still have not processed a traumatic event from the past, so your brain is not capable of handling certain emotions in the present. By sorting through those past emotions, you will be better equipped to handle the current ones and your mind will remain in-touch with reality.

More on Mental Health

One common type of psychogenic blackout is an anxiety-induced blackout (anxiety blackout loss of memory), where individuals may experience sudden memory loss during an anxious episode. It can happen when the brain is overwhelmed by excessive anxiety or stress, disrupting normal cognitive processes temporarily. During an anxiety blackout, the individual may have difficulty recalling events ptsd blackouts or experiences during that time, resulting in memory gaps or amnesia. Managing psychogenic blackouts and anxiety-induced memory loss involves addressing the underlying psychological factors. It may include therapy or counseling to address the anxiety or stress triggers, learning coping skills to manage stress and anxiety, and exploring any unresolved psychological issues or traumas.

These questionnaires are like guides or checklists to your provider, helping them as they try to determine what’s affecting you and how severe it is.
Treatment can speed up that process and help you manage the effects of regaining those memories, too.
For example, you may hear a car backfire and relive combat experiences.
Dissociative amnesia is when dissociation causes memory loss (amnesia).

Psychogenic Blackouts

Whether you’re a mental health professional seeking more knowledge or someone who is personally affected, understanding how to handle and prevent PTSD blackouts is crucial. But it isn’t known if psychosis is sometimes a symptom of PTSD. Or if it is a separate mental health condition, that can be developed alongside PTSD. Next time you experience an episode, revisit what you were feeling and thinking just before the flashback or dissociation occurred.

ptsd blackouts

Blackouts Signs

The therapy uses eye stimulation, or other stimulation methods such as ‘taps’ or ‘tones’, to process certain memories. This should be used until the memories are no longer distressing. Active monitoring or ‘watchful waiting’ may be suggested if you have mild symptoms of PTSD. This means that your symptoms should be monitored, and you should have a follow up appointment in 1 month. NICE stands for National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

But most people who go though a traumatic event do not get PTSD. Because of its broad effects on the nervous system, PTSD can cause some less well-known symptoms, too, including dissociation, brain fog, and physical pain. If you sometimes lack mental clarity and feel fatigued, you may be experiencing PTSD-related brain fog. For individuals with PTSD, these blackouts may occur during times of extreme stress or anxiety. While not everyone with PTSD will experience blackouts, for those who do, it can present significant challenges. Combat StressCombat Stress supports current and ex-military of all ages who have mental health conditions.