What does PTSD actually feel like? Do you have to be a veteran?

I had EMDR for a car accident trauma. It sounds like magic, but it scientifically helped my brain reprocess the memory. I can drive again now.

PTSD is absolutely not limited to combat veterans. Trauma is defined by the nervous system's response to a perceived life-threatening event, not the event itself. A severe car accident frequently causes PTSD. The symptoms you describe—hypervigilance (flinching at noises), avoidance (not driving), and emotional numbing—are hallmark criteria for PTSD. When trauma occurs, the memory gets improperly stored in the amygdala, meaning your brain believes the threat is still happening in the present. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Trauma-Focused CBT are highly effective treatments.