Post Traumatic Stress Support Group

I recently talked with a woman who was confused about the cause or causes of PTSD. She was under the impression that PTSD was a disorder exclusive to war veterans. The truth is quite different in fact. The disorder is related to past events that involved extreme emotional distress. No matter if it is related to war, childhood abuse, a serious accident, spousal abuse or any number of inordinate reasons, PTSD manifests the same disorder for all. No matter the degree of horror, everyone's PTSD is equally bad for all that suffer from it. Let's please start telling each other our worries and our ways of coping. We can help each other by giving an ear to someone who can relate to our pain.

When I was diagnosed with PTSD, I was completely shocked. I, too, associated it with war vets. I was even more shocked because the abuse I went through was emotional, not physical. Since my diagnosis, I have had some major ups and downs. Sometimes I think everything is better, and then out of nowhere, the nightmares begin, or I have a flashback, or my day just implodes. I catch myself shutting everyone out (even my loving husband) and hiding in a metaphorical corner. It takes a lot to bring me out of it, and during those times, I wonder if I'll ever recover.

glory,

My PTSD is related to the physical, verbal and emotional abuse I've endured.

When our therapist told me the symptoms, I was also in shock because I knew I was experiencing them, but didn't know it was PTSD.

I've had trouble sleeping and nightmares, a feeling of numbness and emotional detachment. In conversations with people, I zone out. I see their mouths moving, but don't hear what they are saying and my mind is a million miles away. Sometimes, I am hypersensitive when startled and emotionally drained.

My coping strategy right now it to try to relax a little more. I'm always worried about everything and anything and I believe that's also related to my co-dependency.

As many people here have said, you have to take care of yourself first and that's what I'm trying to do, slowly, but surely.

Hi Nicole, sorry it took so long for me to get back with you. I am so glad you found this group. The more we vent, the more we shake down the walls of our mental illness. I find it interesting that you are being counseled on forgiving your abuser. I am wondering if you are in a Christian counseling group? The reason I ask, is that my own recovery, well at least stability, began only after my anger was validated and I was literally given permission by my therapist to hate my molesters. She told me that I did not have to forgive & I would still be a decent human being. She validated my anger by telling me I had every right to be angry. She helped me put my hatred and anger on a back burner. It no longer rules my life, but it will never be forgotten either. Perhaps, and let's hope, therapists gear their treatments to individual patients. Please keep posting, Nicole, and best of luck in school.

Well hi hanginginthere, nice to see you in this group too. Are you taking any kind of medication for the PTSD? As you know, I'm also bipolar, the same drugs are used for both BPD & PTSD so I guess I would be medicated every which way but loose. lol I know it's a hard way to live, but venting about our problems does help. I have recently(a few months now) been havingwaking dreams. They are really nightmares. They start while I am sleeping and carry over into my waking. So 5-10 minutes after I wake up, I am still in the dream and that makes them seem so much more real. Have you had any of these yet? Pretty damned scary stuff. Keep venting here, friend, I will be watching for you.

glory,

It's nice to see you here too...

I am not taking any medications. It's funny that you ask because one of my husband's pet peeves in counseling is "why is it that he's the only one being medicated?" He told our counselor that I must be perfect and we both disagreed. Honestly, I don't know why. It seems that my husband would be more satisfied if I was taking meds too. I self medicate by having a few wines or beers. This relaxes me.

Regarding the nightmares, I've had lucid dreams, but I'm conscious upon waking. They do seem so real that it's scary. Mostly, I toss and turn at night with usually one concern on my mind and can't get a good night's sleep.

Emotionally, I'm trying to let so much go, but I'm scared that if I let too much go I'll become irresponsible. So far, so good...

It's a learning process and I'm ready for the curves ahead.

Hugs and sweet dreams!

I was diagnosed with PTSD and OCD shortly (within a week) of being diagnosed with Bipolar. My Pdoc diagnosed me with Bipolar, and a therapist diagnosed me with the others. Honestly, I thought she was full of it. I had no idea of PTSD was, and simply just associated it with something vets go through. So yes, it was a shock for me too.

PTSD & Bipolar disease are treated with just about the same drugs, Bug, so at least those of us with both can kill two birds with one stone! lol

Glory...I miss you so much!!!

I have severe complex ptsd, but just a child witnessing a explicit sexual act, but not touched can have ptsd. fifty people can witness the same car crash, and all have varying degrees of it.

Ptsd is more or less, an incident, which ptsd is forever changing right now, they wanted to leave off the disorder part, but I guess us diagnosed, got fed up, and just said, nope, ptsd is fine.

It was first thought, war fatigue, then battle fatigue, then as we aged in psychology, shell shock, then finally something something, whatever, and now know as ptsd.

Complex ptsd, is an endured amount of time. So if you were abused in your homes, most likely you have it,,,,,,,,I have mine from a foster care home,,,,,and many bad things occurred and since we are on the topic I don't want to trigger anyone, been up too long and have a doc. appt soon. gyn, oh lucky me.

new doc too

all senses on me is affected, scent, there are certain things I cannot have near me, innocent as it may sound, colgate shaving cream, with the stripes, I will hide it so fast and buy a new one before it is even missed to get it away.

sight,,,,,I can watch anything war related, but cannot watch anything concentration camp related.

hearing, helicopters, fireworks, any sound that impacts my chest, and can't wear the

feeling, touch, cant wear the seat belt across my chest, it is from being held down.

taste, of course ,,,,,,,,,,

I recently found out that the movie Sybil, was not real. That the production team wanted someone with mpd, so the therapist basically made up the names, how sick is that.

The book "when rabbit howls' is true for mpd.

Me,,,,,,,,every day is different, so in the morning, which since up since yesterday is just one long day with hopefully only 48 hours, and out of xanax, in about five hours I should have them,,,,,,I can wait, not a good week by far,,,,,,so that's it. For now. I'm dealing with Huntington's in my family right now, well what family I have left. And have to move to fla....

time for me is only a clock,,,,,,right now.

Post edited by: ductydawn, at: 07/19/2011 02:47 AM