If you are one of those people who mindlessly use the term ‘PTSD’, you may not like what’s coming in this article because we ain’t holding back on this one. This article is based on our personal experience. FYI, some of my alters may express their opinions in this entry. So please exercise reader’s discretion. If you’re offended, please reflect on yourself 😇

TLDR: Do not use the term ‘PTSD’ loosely in your daily life. Get some education ’bout it. If not, I’mma beat yor arse.

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Let me open this with a personal interaction with a friend.

For context, my team organised the annual outdoor sunset movie event last year and my friend was an attendee. Each attendee was allowed to bring +1 to the event. I saw him at the event and had a quick chat. Part of the conversation as follows.

Me: It’s so good to see you! Did your wife come along?

Him: Oh no, she has PTSD of this event.

Me: Oh my, did something traumatic happened?

Him: Yea, it rained last year during the same event. She was here and did not enjoy the outdoor cinema because she was traumatised by the rain.

Me: I see, she must have had it hard during rainy days.

Him: Oh, no la. She just didn’t like being drenched by the rain during the event last year.

Me: …

That’s pretty much the end of our conversation. Bro, wtf. As someone who had to go through so much pain and fear from PTSD, that was like a world-class insult. It wasn’t because I have some sort of pride as a trauma survivor but using PTSD in that manner is just wrong on so many levels.

Now you may feel that I’m being difficult and rigid. If the other party knew about my struggles, they’d not babble away so carelessly. Well, stop giving such lame excuses. You’re right, I don’t carry my struggles on a banner hung around my neck and you’re right too, if he knew, he’d probably be more tactful. But my point is, people’s habit of using certain mental health terms loosely is subtly creating negative impact in oneself and in this society. This should be called out and people should be educated.

So what is PTSD?

PTSD is the acronym for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witness a traumatic event, series of events or set of circumstances. Symptoms of PTSD may include:

• vivid flashbacks (feeling like the trauma is happening right now)
• intrusive thoughts or images.
• nightmares.
• intense distress at real or symbolic reminders of the trauma.
• physical sensations such as pain, sweating, nausea or trembling.

(ok, which part in his elaboration of his wife’s experience at the event fits this bill? 🙄)

Simply put, the wife had an upsetting experience, not PTSD. 😒

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Detrimental Impact when using PTSD loosely

1. Trivializing the Condition
   • When people casually say, “I have PTSD from that bad exam,” it diminishes the reality of those who truly experience PTSD due to severe trauma like war, abuse, or life-threatening events. This can make it harder for actual survivors to be taken seriously.
     
2. Spreading Misinformation
   • Misusing PTSD can lead to misunderstandings about what it actually is. Some may assume PTSD is just mild stress or discomfort, rather than a serious mental health condition with flashbacks, nightmares, dissociation, and intense anxiety.
   • Individuals may also misuse PTSD as a convenient excuse to avoid taking responsibilities or work. “Oh I have PTSD, so I can’t do this and that. I hope you understand me.”
     
     (Really, seriously. This behaviour deserves two middle fingers up the ass.)
     
3. Creating Barriers to Seeking Help
   • When PTSD is downplayed, people who actually suffer from it might feel invalidated and hesitate to seek professional help. They might think, “Maybe I’m overreacting; everyone says they have PTSD.”
     
     (On the flip side, those people who have fake PTSD are overreacting and over-acting too. These people also need to seek help.)
     
4. Reinforcing Stigma
   • People may start associating PTSD with exaggeration or attention-seeking, leading to more judgment against those who need support. It may also discourage open conversations about real PTSD experiences.
     
5. Diluting Awareness & Advocacy Efforts
   • Advocacy groups work hard to spread accurate information about PTSD, but casual misuse can weaken their efforts. It may also reduce funding or policy changes for those who urgently need mental health resources.

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Ok, so do you get the gist now? Next time before you go around showing off your mental health vocab, please ask yourself:

“AM I HAVING A DIFFICULT EXPERIENCE OR A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE THAT IS CAUSING ME TO SUFFER FROM PTSD?”

If you do not know, please go get yourself some professional help. If you know that it’s a difficult experience, I plead you to apply some thought process before speaking next time. 😇

Do you have any interesting recount to share about how people misuse the term ‘PTSD’? Feel free to share it in the comments section below!