Definition:
Avoidance symptoms are one specific cluster of PTSD symptoms. It includes the following symptoms:
- Making an effort to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations about the traumatic event.
- Making an effort to avoid places or people that remind you of the traumatic event.
- Having a difficult time remembering important parts of the traumatic event.
- A loss of interest in important and once positive activities.
- Feeling distant from others.
- Experiencing difficulties having positive feelings, such as happiness or love.
- Feeling as though your life may be cut short.
Sometimes the avoidance cluster of PTSD symptoms is divided into two separate clusters reflecting avoidance symptoms (making an effort to avoid trauma-related reminders, difficulties remembering parts of a traumatic event, and feeling as though your life will be cut short) and emotional numbing symptoms (loss of interest in once pleasurable activities, feeling distant from others, experiencing difficulties having positive feelings).
You can learn more about the symptoms of PTSD here.
