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@anne-of-lothlorien

Oooo… that’s an interesting question. And though I’ve never had to deal with PTSD, it’s something I’ve thought about, and I know at least one person who has it. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder…

It might help to break down the name, and then apply that to what we understand as what manifests. Post traumatic stress means someone is suffering from something that happened to them in the past. It was so shocking, they’ve been psychologically altered, and it affects them physically (in the mind).

The person I know who has PTSD is a military veteran who saw combat. He was distant, didn’t often carry on conversation in a way that continued, had short answers, and often stared into space. Not all of these have to do with the PTSD by itself, but have to do with his experience and how it affects him now.

My main character deals with PTSD, and one of the ways I characterize this is his eyes. He shows a lot of pain… something that seems ages deep. On top of that he clearly can turn into someone NOT to jest with, and is willing to be deadly to people who touch him wrong. He might get lost in thought, or be distracted by his memories. But he also uses the memories and pain to make him more dangerous, a darker character.

So I’d choose a certain aspect about PTSD that you feel like works with your character. Capitalize on that, and then build around it. The aspects don’t have to be PTSD specific, except for maybe one or two. The others can just be things that feel right, and support it. Things that get the reader to better understand.

I hope that helps! Feel free to ask more 🙂