PTSD and the non-alcoholic spouse
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PTSD and the non-alcoholic spouse
Recently I've been reading about PTSD and the non-alcoholic spouse. Has anyone seen any articles, experienced it themselves or have any feedback they'd be willing to share?
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Hey HSSH. Based on my experience and on what I read, PTSD (especially the complex /type II that builds over time) can happen to spouses, especially when there's emotional or physical abuse involved.
I think being aware that life with an alcoholic and the surrounding circumstances and people can be highly traumatic helped me put my support system together.
There is help for PTSD (EMDR, Cognitive Therapy, Psychoanalysis..) and early intervention can help prevent it from becoming chronic.
If you think you might suffer from PTSD there are great specialists out there, that are well worth their money in my opinion, it might take to interview a few ones though to find the right one.
I think being aware that life with an alcoholic and the surrounding circumstances and people can be highly traumatic helped me put my support system together.
There is help for PTSD (EMDR, Cognitive Therapy, Psychoanalysis..) and early intervention can help prevent it from becoming chronic.
If you think you might suffer from PTSD there are great specialists out there, that are well worth their money in my opinion, it might take to interview a few ones though to find the right one.
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Ladyscribbler, I believe, has a PTSD Dx -- not from being an alcoholic spouse but she has a lot of knowledge about it.
Two of my kids have been Dxd with PTSD from being children of an A. I haven't gotten the Dx but have a lot of the symptoms.
Two of my kids have been Dxd with PTSD from being children of an A. I haven't gotten the Dx but have a lot of the symptoms.
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If you find any articles please post the links.
My STBXAH is military. I remember the first time I heard about PTSD. I thought "Wait a second.... That sounds like ME."
Ten years later, my husband comes home from an appointment and tells me that HE has been diagnosed with it. My thought was: NOOOOOO! That's MINE!!!! (Not my most mature self, I know.) I still feel that he bamboozled the military mental health doctors into the diagnosis. I've done some reading, and it appears the diagnosis of PTSD is really hard to determine in an active alcoholic. But I digress. This is a probably a topic for another day.
What sort of feed back would you like?
My STBXAH is military. I remember the first time I heard about PTSD. I thought "Wait a second.... That sounds like ME."
Ten years later, my husband comes home from an appointment and tells me that HE has been diagnosed with it. My thought was: NOOOOOO! That's MINE!!!! (Not my most mature self, I know.) I still feel that he bamboozled the military mental health doctors into the diagnosis. I've done some reading, and it appears the diagnosis of PTSD is really hard to determine in an active alcoholic. But I digress. This is a probably a topic for another day.
What sort of feed back would you like?
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Was looking at these:
Out of the FOG - Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)
CTSA: PTSD: Symptoms
This one actually has some ways to get out of survival mode:
PTSD Becomes (More) Complex in the DSM-5: Part II | Psychology Today
Was hoping for feedback on recovery related to PTSD/living with an unrecovered AH/spouse and what measures were taken.
Out of the FOG - Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)
CTSA: PTSD: Symptoms
This one actually has some ways to get out of survival mode:
PTSD Becomes (More) Complex in the DSM-5: Part II | Psychology Today
Was hoping for feedback on recovery related to PTSD/living with an unrecovered AH/spouse and what measures were taken.
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I believe I've suffered from it because it was relieved by EMDR. In my case it was manifested in anger, depression and intrusive thoughts. It was the intrusive thoughts that I was ready to lose, because I think I was gradually getting better but they just stuck around.
As I said, the EMDR was helpful, and has been reinforced by an intensive 2 weeks of cognitive therapy.
As I said, the EMDR was helpful, and has been reinforced by an intensive 2 weeks of cognitive therapy.
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Like I said, I have not been diagnosed -- but I downloaded an iPhone app called "PTSD Coach" that's developed between the National PTSD Association (or something along those lines). It has self-assessments, and symptom management suggestions. It's helped me with flashbacks and anxiety attacks.
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I caught a pretty good case of PTSD in Iraq, and have undergone Exposure Therapy (similar to EMDR) to treat it. It's still there, but manageable. I only have nightmares/panic attacks/acute episodes a few times a year- as opposed to a few times a day. And the episodes don't shut me down all day like they used to. Twenty minutes of deep breathing and a journal entry can set me right. It's a lot of painful work, but the payoff is totally worth it.
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I definitely had this for quite some time after breaking it off with xabf a few years ago.
It shocked me one night while I was at a Halloween party and this very drunken guy had stumbled downstairs and was yelling really loudly. I immediately started crying. We were in a basement and I had nowhere to go. Luckily there was a bathroom down there so I had some respite, but I was internally freaking out. Even now I can cringe if I think about it.
Another incident involved being in a public place where there was another drunk guy (geez they are everywhere) and he was behaving crazy and getting louder and I suddenly started having heart palpitations - a common thing that was happening to me during my 3 year R with xabf. The stress was so bad that became my reaction.
It's been a year and a half since we dated and I've removed as much of the triggers as I can when they show up, but sometimes I'm still surprised when something gets me.
It shocked me one night while I was at a Halloween party and this very drunken guy had stumbled downstairs and was yelling really loudly. I immediately started crying. We were in a basement and I had nowhere to go. Luckily there was a bathroom down there so I had some respite, but I was internally freaking out. Even now I can cringe if I think about it.
Another incident involved being in a public place where there was another drunk guy (geez they are everywhere) and he was behaving crazy and getting louder and I suddenly started having heart palpitations - a common thing that was happening to me during my 3 year R with xabf. The stress was so bad that became my reaction.
It's been a year and a half since we dated and I've removed as much of the triggers as I can when they show up, but sometimes I'm still surprised when something gets me.
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I've been diagnosed with PTSD. I went through some extremely stressful years in which I was the primary caregiver for my husband and daughter who had health problems. I was on antidepressants and thought I was handling all okay. Then in a matter of 2 years time my husband went into heart failure and almost died, he lost his job of 35 years, my daughter had to have a double hip replacement revision 6 weeks before she started her surgical residency ( I was her caregiver and had to move her in a new apt), my mother was diagnosed with the same cancer my dad died from, my son ends up in the hospital
detoxing from alcohol and has to drop out of college, and we learn he's an alcoholic. He moved back in with us while in early recovery which wasn't easy. I'm a teacher and was trying to hold everyone up, be the primary bread earner, and work long and very stressful hours. I lost it. Extreme depression, terrible anxiety attacks. Every time the phone rang it would trigger one. I'd literally cover my ears and run. I couldn't answer it. I thought it was someone calling to inform me of another bad thing happening and I knew I just couldn't handle it. I'd wake up all night long sweating, in terror. All day long I'd have the worst thoughts of all the terrible things that could and were happening. It was a nightmare and I really thought about wanting to die. It got so bad that I couldn't handle it anymore. Called my Dr. and was diagnosed. I'm on an antidepressant and saw a counselor for a year and a half. Many of the things I've learned in AlAnon also helped my immensely, but to be honest working on my spiritual life has been the most helpful. If you're suffering from what you think may be PTSD please see your Dr. and a counselor or therapist. I still have problems at times with the anxiety , but the things I've learned to do from my counselor has really helped me immensely.
detoxing from alcohol and has to drop out of college, and we learn he's an alcoholic. He moved back in with us while in early recovery which wasn't easy. I'm a teacher and was trying to hold everyone up, be the primary bread earner, and work long and very stressful hours. I lost it. Extreme depression, terrible anxiety attacks. Every time the phone rang it would trigger one. I'd literally cover my ears and run. I couldn't answer it. I thought it was someone calling to inform me of another bad thing happening and I knew I just couldn't handle it. I'd wake up all night long sweating, in terror. All day long I'd have the worst thoughts of all the terrible things that could and were happening. It was a nightmare and I really thought about wanting to die. It got so bad that I couldn't handle it anymore. Called my Dr. and was diagnosed. I'm on an antidepressant and saw a counselor for a year and a half. Many of the things I've learned in AlAnon also helped my immensely, but to be honest working on my spiritual life has been the most helpful. If you're suffering from what you think may be PTSD please see your Dr. and a counselor or therapist. I still have problems at times with the anxiety , but the things I've learned to do from my counselor has really helped me immensely.
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This thread post was from 2014. I was searching on google and found this post. I have experienced PTSD. My husband is a recovered alcoholic. It is almost 10 years later. My husband just tells me to get over it. It is hard to heal if you are constantly suppressing everything that happened in the past and the present.
Here is an article. https://dellajennsen.medium.com/the-...e-e0ecb1ffbaa0
I have chosen not to drink due to my husband's alcoholism. It is not the easiest thing to see other people drinking and acting like nothing else will happen. I do miss the innocent and carefree person I was before I met my husband. I would occasionally have a glass of wine, a strawberry daiquiri, or pina colada. I liked to go to a winery or an Irish pub. It was fun. With my husband, one bottle of wine would be a nightmare for me. With my husband, it was like we were this fun couple that went to bars and pubs, but it soon became a nightmare. I remember going to an Irish pub. They overserved my husband with drinks. He started to get sick. This other guy helped me with my husband to our car so that I could drive us home. It was embarrassing. I just remember the kindness of that other guy that helped me that me that day--I really wish that I had ended up with someone like that other guy rather than my husband.
This is a good article as well. I like how it addresses overcoming PTSD.
https://interventionhelpline.com/blo...ateral-damage/
Here is an article. https://dellajennsen.medium.com/the-...e-e0ecb1ffbaa0
I have chosen not to drink due to my husband's alcoholism. It is not the easiest thing to see other people drinking and acting like nothing else will happen. I do miss the innocent and carefree person I was before I met my husband. I would occasionally have a glass of wine, a strawberry daiquiri, or pina colada. I liked to go to a winery or an Irish pub. It was fun. With my husband, one bottle of wine would be a nightmare for me. With my husband, it was like we were this fun couple that went to bars and pubs, but it soon became a nightmare. I remember going to an Irish pub. They overserved my husband with drinks. He started to get sick. This other guy helped me with my husband to our car so that I could drive us home. It was embarrassing. I just remember the kindness of that other guy that helped me that me that day--I really wish that I had ended up with someone like that other guy rather than my husband.
This is a good article as well. I like how it addresses overcoming PTSD.
https://interventionhelpline.com/blo...ateral-damage/
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