Guys, I need some help for ideas

Guys, I need some help for ideas.

So I need to write a short story for my course, and it has to do with PTSD. I decided to write about a guy who goes about his day like normal, but there are small, everyday things that he hallucinates. Like say, when he's pouring some milk into a bowl, instead of white it's blood red. Or when he's in the car and radio comes on, instead of what you'd normally hear, it's military orders or some shit.

Also, I want to end it so that he ends up hanging himself. How can I write something like that without actually saying that he hangs himself? I've got to try to not make it so obvious.

I can't think of more ideas like the examples I said above that I can add though. Can anyone help me out?

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bumping again

If this is your first story, which it sounds like it is, stay away from mental illness.

You'll butcher it with your inexperience.

I've written short stories before, but never about mental illnesses, because of my inexperience with them like you said.

Unfortunately, I can't choose another topic as this is part of the course and what we're expected to do.

That sounds awful. What's the assignment?

We've got to write a short story with a minimum word count of 3000 and the topic is PTSD. We don't have a specific prompt or anything, it just has to be about PTSD.

Alright, then your best route with the story would be to show how it affects a romantic/bromantic relationship. Family could do too.

Whatever you do, stay away from edgy shit. If you show PTSD as some edgy meme, then no one is going to like it, unless they're edgy themselves.

And stay away from hallucinations. That's schizophrenia, not PTSD. Completely different illnesses.

People with ptsd don't hallucinate you faggot. Also your story sounds cliche as fuck.
Try reading some boards online about people who suffer from real PTSD not meme ptsd. It's a legit thing and maybe you would be able to write something decent and relatable.

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Alright, thanks for the ideas. Looks like I'll have to change my story then.

Yeah, I honestly don't know a thing about PTSD other than it's something that develops after someone is exposed to a traumatic event. Thanks for the suggestions, I'll have to read some more about it.

In ptsd, there are triggers that will bring back a bad memory, i.e. fireworks and vets, you don't just see shit altering like milk turning to blood. Sauce

Ya. Also don't be an edgy faggot.
>omg he can't take it any more and he hangs himself. But I won't say it outright cause I'm like such a good writer and shit. *masturbates self*

Thanks. If you don't mind me asking, what are some triggers that bring back memories for you?

Yeah true, it sounds stupid now that I think about it.

write a lot and cut out a lot

Thanks. I'll have to get a lot of ideas to write a lot though.

I'm a PTSD sufferer due to sexual assault where my life was threatened (by my 3 year long boyfriend). My triggers are certain smells (aftershaves), phrases, his favourite songs, the smell of cooking his favourite foods, the feel of facial stubble ( current bf has to shave a lot). When i am dreaming, or when something triggers me i can be flashed back to that moment and it feels so real again i wet myself anmd have a panic attack. theres some info on living with ptsd

Damn, that's got to suck.

Thank you for the information though, I appreciate it.

OP, I swear if you're going to take this idea and put it in your story, you're fucking stupid.

Research dsm-v symptoms of PTSD. They are 1) exposure to trauma 2) intrusive symptoms 3) avoidance and 4) negative changes in mood and thought processes.
I work in mental health and I can always spot trauma by the 4th criterea (although the first 3 are more classic). The trauma survivors usually keep the first 3 to themselves and underwraps so to speak, but it's harder to conceal the depression, anxiety, belief that the world is dangerous, belief that they might be guilty in some way, feeling like they need to always be hypervigilent ect.

Nah, I won't. But it helps me get a better understanding of what PTSD is, instead of hallucinations like my dumb ass previously thought.

Meme rape?

Hey. I'm a Psych Doctoral student.
PTSD is an intense fear caused by a trauma and maintained by avoidance.
What i mean by this is that every time someone is exposed to the feared stimulus (gunfire or sounds that are similar, smells that were on the battle field etc), there is an intense need to escape. If one were to stay in the situation, they would eventually habituate to the stimuli and return to normal, but the fear response is so intense that is next to impossible without a plan and help.

Thanks for the info.

Also should mention that in my experience many people do not like to believe they have trauma. So they would prefer to just drop the whole thing and tough it out. It's usually not until something else happens (eg family forces them, they develop alcohol abuse problems, they get in trouble for acting aggressive) that they are brought into therapy.