Why does PTSD make people avoid certain places? PTSD avoidance can happen when the brain associates a location, crowd, sound, smell or situation with a traumatic experience. For veterans and others living with PTSD, this can trigger anxiety, hypervigilance and the fight, flight or freeze response — sometimes leading people to avoid places they once visited without a second thought. Understanding PTSD symptoms is an important part of understanding trauma and recovery. Hashtags #PTSD #PTSDRecovery #VeteranMentalHealth #UKVeterans #veteransbridgeuk