The joy missing would not be PTSD.

Good luck with recovery. Injuries suck 😢

When you are all healed up, just take it easy and avoid larger partners. Only small guys or people your age. You are 50 as you said. What is the point in rolling with an overly eager 20 year old with something to prove? Pick your rolls, be upfront with your training partners before you fist bump, and you will be fine. Lastly, make sure you are doing your end of the deal by being careful in a roll and not competitive. In the beginning stages of returning you are there just for movement and exercise. You are essentially just dipping your toe in the water when you are ready to return to the mats. You are not there to improve your jiu jitsu, nor should you expect your timing and coordination to be where it was. It will come back in time, but you will have to be patient. I've seen many guys over the years come back from various injuries including two older gentlemen with full hip replacements. Give it time and be patient, all will be fine.
Best of luck in your recovery!

In 2012 I lost the use of my right foot from someone jumping guard. My doctor was pretty doom and gloom about it and told me I would never run again which meant losing my career. Luckily I was back to work five months later. I never planned to do Jiu Jitsu again for fear of the same thing happening to the other leg.

I went back to the gym just doing privates hitting mitts with the owner to get back in shape. One day at the end of our workout he told me to bring my gi to our next session. I was hesitant but after playing around in the gi a little bit I realized how much I missed it.

I’m definitely more aware of my body while training now and I’m not going crazy trying to win rounds in the gym. I give up positions whenever I feel uncomfortable because I understand how easy things can go sideways and I don’t want to lose my career for a hobby.

TLDR: Do what you’re comfortable with.

Joy missing can 100% be part of PTSD. Not to get into a full out clinical explanation, but my councilor explained it to me this way. Our brain in response to the trauma, has a response to the emotion. The brain does its best to numb the emotions, however, the brain cannot selectively numb certain emotions, so when it turns down the volume on one it turns them all down. The brain needs time heal and reconnect. In this case, he might need a long time to regain that sense of true safety to reconnect with the positive emotions that Jiu Jitsu used to bring.

Not as much experience on the mats or on this forum (in fact this is my first post) but as a combat vet with a PTSD rating and a lot of work under my belt in that area I wanted to say a few things that might be helpful.

First, like Megaton mentions, that absolutely can be PTSD. The parts that makes it PTSD are that it's in response to a traumatic experience, that it is at a level that disrupts you from your normal daily activities, and that it persists longer than a month or two. People (especially US combat vets) have a mistaken understanding that PTSD is only a war thing, or requires death and dismemberment. It doesn't. Nor does it mean you are weak.

Most people conflate our emotions with our response. Not feeling joy anymore is a huge change in reaction to an activity we previously loved. Following the feeling of joy may be what lead you into BJJ to begin with, but that doesn't mean you can't still choose to respond in a way that works to get that joy back. Don't let a potential temporary loss of joy end your hobby/passion, advancement or contributions to your community.

There are so many tools to help the brain reprocess trauma to kick it out of the survival mode loop. If you find that this happens, my recommendation is to first and foremost, openly talk about it with people. Don't let it be embarrassing or shameful. (The emotions or the event). Second, do what you are doing now and reach out to others that have experienced injury, especially those that have come back.
Knowing that it's not just you helps combat the feelings of embarrassment or shame that naturally come when you feel like you should be able to do something but mentally can't in the moment. Lastly, if you have the ability, reach out to a counselor or therapist, especially if it causes you problems long term. Advancements in Cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure and EMDR (can't remember what it stands for but related to eye movement and lights therapy) can be super helpful.

Remember why you enjoyed it to begin with. At your level, I can't imagine you were ignorant to the risk of injury before today. That risk is the same as it always ways.

Good luck!

Hey man. As someone who has had to take significant amounts of time off on my bjj journey to heal from injuries (nursing one now), I know the feeling well. One thing I can tell you is prioritize your comfort over other's opinions! Do a thorough vibe check before rolling with anyone new, if they can't meet you where you need them to in the round just do a "vibe tap" you don't need to explain yourself if you feel off about a roll. Do more private lessons with instructors who understand where you are at, and most of all go at your own pace! It can be frustrating, but it is 100% up to you how to manage your training. As someone nearing 50, I often refuse training partners. You've proven enough to yourself by now, no need to invite risk vs relaxing rolls. If they can't flow let em go!

Getting over PTSD from a major injury is tough! The best thing I have found was finding a physical therapist that will put me through true stress test on things that scare me related to old injuries. It has absolutely built up my confidence!