Whether something really bad just happened to you or it happened a long time ago, you find yourself easily startled and always on your guard. Your sleep sucks, as does your ability to remember things. And the things that you would like to forget, seem to come back to you in nightmares and/or flashbacks; at times it feels like what happened is happening all over again. Maybe you have been isolating yourself from others as a means to not deal with what you experienced, or perhaps you throw yourself into activities (work, recreational substances, gambling, risky behaviors) with the hope that something will help you forget. Your view of the world has become one of gloom and doom, and the future doesn’t seem bright. Triggers. Let’s not forget the triggers. Something….a smell, a sound, a faintly familiar voice will take you back almost like a time machine and put you right back in the traumatic situation.