Can someone tell me about their experiences with PTSD

[Patk]

Hi Everyone,

I would like to know if anyone out there has experienced PTSD? I have read how veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from it, and I assume people who have experienced severe trauma like rape, murder of someone close etc. could also be susceptible. I have never experienced such aforementioned trauma, but I would like to know if job loss could lead to PTSD?

I have had a string of painful, short-term jobs which involved very strressful job losses and then relocation and beginning a new job:

Japan one year-drank myself out of a job.
Saudi Arabia (only lasted 3 monthsbefore I was fired, but was relieved to get out of SA)
Middle East 5 years-two jobs; one for 3 years and the other for two. Both I had trouble with anxiety and stress. I was fired from the last one.

Can job loss (getting fired) and being thrown into a new job cause PTSD?

Pk

[MrsMagoo]

I has recently been suggested to me that I suffer from some form of PTSD from being married to an addict. Ironically, my AH suffers from it. He was in Beruit when it was bombed and saw combat back in the 80's/90's.

I've seen him freak out in a haunted house one year. It was full of smoke from dry ice and there was screaming and chainsaws going. It wasn't pretty.

Most recently, he woke up twice in the middle of the night with PTSD related dreams. The first time he grabbed my face (he cried because he thought he had me by the throat) and the second time he just punched me in the back. He didn't wake up or remember that.

Point is, I think there are alot of things that can cause PTSD and it probably depends on the person and trauma. A series of lost jobs probably could cause it too.

[Zencat]

I spent a few months in therapy and was diagnosed to have PTSD by a skillful therapist.

[XStacyReneeX]

What is PTSD exactly?

[macsap]

Originally Posted by XStacyReneeX

What is PTSD exactly?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

NIMH · Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

[shugabooga]

yes, i think you could be suffering from a form of PTSD with all these job changes. even if it can't be labeled PTSD, it is highly stressful and you should seek some counseling to help settle your thoughts and regain your peace of mind.

[Patk]

Hi shugabooga,

Thanks for the reply. Counselling is not possible for me here in Japan. Can you recommend any books that I might find helpful?

Pat

[shugabooga]

hi patk,

i'm not sure right now what to recommend and i'm rushing off to work. i'll look into it, and maybe we can find something for you from amazon.com that you can order. i'm sure it must be very hard to find resources in a non-English speaking country! god bless & happy new year!!

[Carol Star]

I think I have had it in various degrees all through life. I was scared of school,scared to be away from my Mom,scared of my abusive father and sister,later scared of teaching in some rough inner city situations,scared being married to an alcoholic.......nothing compared to combat but felt threatened and didn't grow up with coping skills I have learned in 12 step work......

[shugabooga]

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Library) by Pema Chodron

The Language of Letting Go (Hazelden Meditation Series) by Melody Beattie

The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracian and Christopher Maurer

Why Me, Why This, Why Now by Robin Norwood

hi patk, these are four books that i would personally recommend, but none of them focus on ptsd. i did a search on amazon.com and there are tons of books on it. just take a look and place an order! they aren't very expensive. best wishes!

[Lilyflower]

PTSD can occur in anyone who has been exposed to a psychologically traumatic experience.

Huh, well that leads to the questions of what is considered psychologically traumatising?

The definition given on Posttraumatic stress disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia helped me to understand PTSD a bit more.

I believe that anything can be traumatising, it all depends on the individual, how they naturally handle situations and what situation they are exposed to. From the definition:

''A traumatic event involves a single experience, or an enduring or repeating event or events, that completely overwhelm the individual's ability to cope or integrate the ideas and emotions involved with that experience.''

and so it would seem that there is no definitive event that can lead to PTSD; although abuse, witnessing violence etc are commonly the accepted senarios.

It is highly common for PTSD to be treated with Cognitive behavioural Therapy (CBT) although there are other treatments; PTSD can coincide with other anxiety disorders and can be confused with Acute anxiety disorder, so it is best if you think you have PTSD to see a therapist/counsellor who can diagnose you correctly and begin treatment.

Lily xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Prentiss]

Hi Patk,

One book you could look at is the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne, Ph. D. PTSD caused anxieties and phobias for me and it may help you work through some things. I learned a lot, but still need to finish it... Hope this helps and good luck!

[GailJ]

short term Post traumatic stress is far more common than post traumatic stress disorder.
do your homework and definately use the medical resources that are available in your part of the world if you can.

[Lavash]

I was dx with PTSD back in 2000 when my ex of 11 yrs (not an addict) was having an affair with someone for over a year. He left me for her, moved out, took our business that we spent 10 yrs growing, but then realized he made a mistake and came back.
He came back but still saw her behind my back and she confronted me one day to tell me she has HIV, and that he knew from day one she was infected and he was having sex with her for over a year unprotected, then with me unprotected

While all this was happening, I had to find a job since he took our biz, after 10 yrs of not working for others besides myself.
So I had to work at a new job, live alone for the first time ever, and live knowing he left me and now the thought I had hiv. Then my 24 yr old cat died 3 days after I found all this out about the hiv.
I went into some form of shock. Waiting for hiv results for 2 weeks, then at 4 weeks, then at 3 months gave me this unusual reaction that was hard to explain, but it's like I died. My mind went blank. I needed to turn off in order to survive and not end my life. This is when my friends/family said I changed.

I started to drink, drink and drive, starving myself, was sleeping around with anyone (and I had sex with only 2 men ever before this) and I was 34 at the time. Life got very confusing at this point. I went to therapy to discover I was suffering from PTSD.
My family and friends didn't understand because I was always so "together". It was 4 months after this all happened, everyone told me I should be over it by now, so that made me feel like I was nuts, because I was far from over losing my ex of 11 yrs and wondering if I had hiv.
I was stunned at the little support I got, but in retrospect, I see my friends/family were also suffering stress from seeing me become a mess.

This is why my therapist now things I chose two long term Bf's after him that were addicts.
There are still daily effects from that trauma. And no, I was not hiv positive. It's been a LONG road to healing

[djpb]

A book I found informative - "Trauma and Recovery" by Judith Herman (M.D.) You should be able to find it through Amazon.

Good luck with everything!

D

[Patk]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all your replies!!!!

Pat

[ChemicalMisery]

I am VERY sorry that this is so long!

I was diagnosed with PTSD while at a mental hospital when I was 15. It's getting a lot worse as I get older, and It makes everyday life very difficult for me.

I remember when I first had an episode at the hospital. It was minuscule, (well, for me) but I guess enough to start to see what was going on..We were in group (Art therapy I guess) and we were using clay..and the tables were those cheap plastic tables, that are pretty much hollow sounding when you slam on them..and a couple guys started slamming the clay into the table over and over..and I started to cover my ears and rock, and began to cry hysterically. The mental health worker took me out of the room and I went to see the therapist, that's where he explained to me that the hollow banging noise was a trigger.

As I got older, everything started getting worse. I started having ...I guess I'd say delusions...Because I'd have an episode where I would be right back to where I was 5 or 6 years before,..Not a flash back, but actually BE back in that time. Once my best friend found me at the skate park that my little brother used to go to, I guess I had wondered off there at night, and I guess she had to remind me that my brother was no longer in my life, and that he is no longer a ten year old.

(I live with my best friend, so she's seen a lot of my episodes) She's told me that sometimes I would repeat lines of certain songs over and over, and wouldn't stop freaking out until I could listen to the song...and It often took a while because I guess Id mix a bunch of songs up and put them all in one song line, and I had to hear every word. Idk how to explain that one. That hasnt happend in a while.

Sometimes even the tones of someone's voice or just something they say, can send me into an episode, where I'm right back to where I was...My best friend and I were play fighting, and I told her not to touch me because I started feeling weird, and she said "I'll touch you if I want". She was joking but because of the vulnerable state I was in, I got defensive and said "It's my body!" and she came back with "It's MY room, I'll do what I want!" and It send me into a screaming fit, Suddenly I was being raped, and struggling and that's all I remember from that, When I snapped out of it, She was crying.

Lately though, my episodes are horrible, and worry me a lot. Especially since I'm no longer in therapy or on medication because I don't have insurance anymore.

I've gotten to the point where when I'm sober, I can tell that Im about to have an episode and calm myself down, or remove myself from the enviroment in in..But when I'm drunk..It's BAD. Theres been about 5 or 6 times In the last 2 or 3 months that I've had very severe drunken episodes. Sadly most were around strangers that I was partying with. Something would be said, and suddenly I'd black out, and I'd be kicking and pounding my fists on the floor, and crying and shaking and screaming, and continuously saying things (like "She didnt ******* love me! or He wouldnt stop! or I miss them and its all my fault their gone!") Sometimes I cut myself during my episodes too. my longest episode was 6 hours. and lately the shortest has been 4 hours.

It ruins a lot of things for me, scares away people I'm in relationships with, and is such a huge embarrasment.

I know this is long and I'm sorry. I'll end it in a minute I promise! But I failed to mention what my PTSD is from, and I'm pretty sure that's what was asked in the first place.

BRIEFLY
My childhood consisted of rape, homelessness,Violence, Taking care of my schizophrenic mother who is and always has been a heroin and crack addict and an alcoholic, and raising my two siblings, then dealing with the guilt from when DCF took us all away and splitting us up, Watching my step father being arrested at age ten (He is still in jail for child molestation), two different times where I've gone through incest rape, ...and theres a lot more, but I think I should end it here before you all hate me haha.

Thank you so much for giving me a place to talk about this, I tend to bottle things up. <3