My sd asked me "what is PTSD" and I have no idea what to tell him...

I've known him and his family for several years and pretty well. They know me pretty well. I used to babysit his girls and have done some spiritual counseling with him and spent time with his wife. The last 6 weeks have been rough for me. In the middle of it, my relationship with this sd totally fell apart. The man knew I went to intensive therapy treatment out of state 1.5 years ago and even helped arrange things in a respectful confidential way to be taken care of at home. He even knew I struggled with SI as a way to cipe with emotion. I told him of trauma.

About two weeks ago I basically told my sd I needed a break... in a big way... I talked to one of my Ts about it (who shares the same spiritual practices I guess and she thinks they have been great people to have in my life, and others who are mutal friends - but I needed a break.)

So I told the sd it was "triggering too many ptsd flashbacks and I can't deal with it all right now" to stay connected and involved with the group/particular faith community

he asked me, "what is ptsd?"

I said, "oh I mean post traumatic stress disorder."

"What is that?"

I couldn't answer. I think I was already really mad at him for other reasons that this for some reason felt really bad when he asked this. But now that I look at it again... I don't know why it felt bad, but it did at thr time. His question... he was asking others too... and it felt like he was asking rhetorical questions or passive agressive ones about the other questions. I'm pretty sure of that. But this one, how could it be meant in a passive agressive or rhetorical way?

And how in the world do I answer it?

He also said, "I find in interesting you can be composed in one moment and then suddenly so scared in the next."

Interesting?

None of this felt characteristic for him to say, but it was in the middle of my life melting down and a crappy situation happening too....

And I have never really said to anyone outside of therapy group or here or my mom that I technically have ptsd.

And my mind is stuck on the pastor/sd asking me what ptsd is ad the fact that I had no answer. I didn't assume he would or should know, but I guess I thought if I risked to tell anyone that I have ptsd, something I tell almost no one... I would have been able to say what it is, especially when they followed up with commenting about a symptom of it... one of several symptoms that suddenly got worse until I took a break from that particular faith community for now.

What is ptsd?

What could I have said? How do I answer that to an sd or let's say a friend if they knew? I don't actually know how to answer except for pointing to a website or something that would list symptoms ad I don't want to do that...

Any ideas?

jane