Following a traumatic event, a person may develop a sense of a foreshortened future, which is currently considered an avoidance symptom of PTSD. People who experience this symptoms feel as though their life will somehow be cut short without any real explanation why. They may also feel as though they won't be able to reach milestones in their life, such as a career, marriage or children.
A sense of a foreshortened future can vary in terms of severity. Some people may have just a mild sense that their life will be cut short, whereas others may have a specific prediction regarding the length of their life span and are completely convinced of their premature death. As you can probably imagine, this particular symptom of PTSD can have a major impact on a person's life. This symptom can be very difficult to cope with and may lead to isolation, hopelessness, helplessness and depression. However, there are some steps you can take to reduce the severity of this symptom. You can learn ways of coping with this particular PTSD symptom in this article from About.com.
