There is a sort of pain associated with loss. Loss of a valuable possession, a sum of money, etc., can cause a painful feeling. Similarly, the making of a major mistake can cause a painful feeling. The two feelings are quite the same.

Related too is the painful feeling of fear of such events, the fear of such pain. I fear leaving my camera on the front seat of my car. I fear certain type of crowds, such as cocktail parties.

Memories can trigger these painful feelings; memories of such painful events. Thinking can trigger these painful feelings; thinking that you might make a mistake.

Those two things, remembering and thinking, can turn into a vicious cycle that interferes with life. One wants to do something and upon the thinking of the doing one is hit by the painful feeling that one may make a mistake which gets reinforced by the memory of an event which resulted in a painful feeling.

The problem — the problem of PTSD — is when a painful feeling comes with seemingly no reason, with no associated event or memory; the pain just comes. Sometimes there are triggers. A person walks into a room and you are in pain; a dog barks and you are in pain; there is a vague smell and you are in pain; there is a look on someone’s face — even a friend’s — and you are in pain.

Even worse is when there are no discernible triggers. You are in pain and there is no reason. You are in pain and there is no one to talk to.

You are in pain and there is no way out.