[googley]

My startle response is elevated. I hate it when there are loud noises and often will jump. My office mate was able to startle me when I was working just by saying my name.

Well today I was in my adviser's office going over my research so that I can do my homework assignment over the weekend. They decided to test the fire alarm (repeatedly). If my professor didn't know I had an extreme startle response before he certainly does now. I kept jumping out of my chair every time it went off. My guess is they had to test every pull station in the building. Now I need to spend the rest of the day on relaxation exercises so that I can sleep tonight. I was hoping to get writing done. UGH!!! I hate loud noises!

[Perna]

Yes, I have a similar feeling about ambulances going by (and sometimes fire engines). My worst startle response though was when I'd be sitting next to my therapist in group and she'd raise her hand (say to push her hair back or gesture or something) and I'd startle like she was going to hit me :-( Very embarrassing.

[googley]

Yeah,
I can't deal with anything that seems to be flying at me either. Or anything that comes up behind me. I swear if something can startle, it does startle.

After you have been startled do you calm down, look around and realize you are in no danger? That while being startled is uncomfortable, the discomfort is short-lived and it is safe to move on?

[Catherine2]

Originally Posted by googley

Yeah,
I can't deal with anything that seems to be flying at me either. Or anything that comes up behind me. I swear if something can startle, it does startle.

googley,
I also have times like this and hate it...
Sometimes it will take a day or two for me to settle down.
My own experience is it is episodic and many times there is no rhyme or reason to it.

I'm sorry this is happening, but glad you shared about it.
Thank you.

[googley]

Byz-
I don't feel fear when I get startled by the fire alarm, it is just a physiological response. I am able to relax significantly between the alarm going off, but I still jump each time.

I do feel fear when people come up behind me or something comes at me. I do look around at what is going on and realize that it is not dangerous, and relax afterwords. But both of these leave my arousal level elevated. Certain things can make it worse, make me more sensitive, like talking about my assault in T. It will take me a while to relax afterwords and not feel so raw. During that period of feeling raw I know I am more hyperaware of what is going around me. It is better than when I first was attacked, but nowhere near gone.

[(JD)]

It's called hypervigilance, and is a component of PTSD.

[skeksi]

Unfortunately, I think the startle response is one of the PTSD symptoms that stays with you, for the most part. I have found that the degree to which it is active, however, varies. That is, when my PTSD in general is well-managed and I'm not having lots of intrusive or numbing symptoms, my startle is also lower. It still happens, but it is not as sensitive; so, a door slamming might set me off still but a smaller noise I might be able to manage okay.

I'm sorry you had that happen all day. The trouble with the PTSD startle is, even if you know the noise is coming, it might still scare the pants off you.

[RACEKA]

I can relate to the fire alarms. I work in a government building and even if they warn us I jump a mile when they go off. It's so uncomfortable.