Which of the following is a symptom of PTSD that correctional officers may experience?

• A. Hypervigilance, a sense of always being on guard.
• B. Frequent headaches.
• C. Nausea.
• D. Dizziness.

Answer: (A)

Hypervigilance, the sense of always being on guard, is a hallmark of the hyperarousal cluster in PTSD. For correctional officers, constant exposure to potential threats makes this heightened alertness a familiar coping pattern, but when it becomes persistent, it signals how trauma-related stress can affect functioning. PTSD isn’t just about memories of a single event; it includes ongoing arousal symptoms like being easily startled, trouble sleeping, irritability, and scanning the environment for danger. The feeling of always being on guard directly reflects that persistent arousal.

The other symptoms listed—headaches, nausea, dizziness—can accompany stress or fatigue but are non-specific and don’t define PTSD by themselves. They may appear with many conditions or everyday strain, whereas hypervigilance specifically maps onto the PTSD symptom pattern in the context of ongoing trauma exposure.