I understand.

I used the falling down the stairs analogy in an earlier post. That's learning from experience, which isn't the same thing as having PTSD.

I was permanently injured in a car accident. Years later, I walk with a cane, and will for the rest of my life. We were T-boned on the passenger side. Now any time I glimpse the slightest motion out the passenger side window, I can't control a startle reflex. There WILL be a jump and a gasp. That's PTSD. (And the car accident isn't all that caused it. There are other factors too.)