finally-a diagnosis-prolonged posttraumatic stress disorder

Old 04-11-2007, 07:02 AM
  # 1 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
hopeangel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: oh
Posts: 757
finally-a diagnosis-prolonged posttraumatic stress disorder

finally the therapist has diagnosed ah with prolonged posttraumatic stress disorder. i have known for a long time that there was some mental illness, but could not put a handle on exactly what. now so much makes sense. he has all the symtoms. i hope he may now be able to get the treatment he needs with this and it helps just to have understanding.
the psd was caused by prolonged abuse, mental, physical, sexual. ah was adopted. both biological parents were alcoholics and he biological dad was a vet that suffered from psd after coming home from war. ah was then in several foster homes. the people that adopted him were severily abusive to him. he went from a bad situation to a worse one.
so, those with any experience with this. what do i need to know? what can be done to help?
thanks
hopeangel is offline  
Old 04-11-2007, 07:05 AM
  # 2 (permalink)  
let it grow!
 
parentrecovers's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 15,540
i don't have any experience to share, but i'm glad you and your husbands are finding answers. blessings, k
parentrecovers is offline  
Old 04-11-2007, 08:47 AM
  # 3 (permalink)  
Member
 
criss-cross's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: iowa
Posts: 93
in my opinion-
this diagnosis doesn't change anything.
He has learned to adapt, self medicate with the alcohol.
After a certain time - and if this all happened when he was young- it likely has been awhile - you are fighting many years of a behavior that he has come to accept as normal.
You have to get past the alcoholic to get to treat the post-traumatic-stress-disorder. Even though the alcohol use was likely brought about by the PTSD.
In my AHs case - he could never do that.
AH was a victim of child sex abuse by his mother's boyfriend when he was 11 years old. It took him 25 years to admit that to anyone - and even though he has gone to some therapy related to this - (and a ton of detox & inpatient treatment for alcohol) - he still continues to be an alcoholic.
Good luck to you & AH
criss-cross is offline  
Old 04-11-2007, 08:55 AM
  # 4 (permalink)  
When Pigs Fly
 
kermit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: california
Posts: 894
Well honey, let me start by saying that I am sorry that these things happened to him, or anyone! I believe that my xAh has some mental illnes. The good part is now your husband knows and can start the process to get better, if he wants. I think it is a great step in the right direction. I hope and pray that he wants this help, and I admire you for being there for him and learning as well. I only drem that my xAh does the same one day.
Maybe this will be what your AH needs. Keep us posted and I will pray for all of you. Good luck, hang in there you will know what to do, or not do as time and treatment go by.
Luv you, Kermmie
kermit is offline  
Old 04-11-2007, 09:08 AM
  # 5 (permalink)  
Let Go Let God
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: jersey shore
Posts: 437
well i know every situation is different but i can bet that many of our alcoholics have suffered some kind of trauma that led them to feel that need to escape themselves by self medicating with alcohol/and or drugs . my ah suffers from ptsd as well . he was diagnosed abt 8 months ago . it is a relief to finally know that there is a name but it doesnt make the road any shorter .

he still needs to want to get better . i think anybody can recover if they want to recover . they have to want it for the right reasons . your ah needs to understand that this abuse was not his doing , it was not his fault and he had no control . he was a child and had nobody to turn to , its too sad to even think about really . if he can let go of the burdens that he has been carrying around with him for all these years he will be in the right direction .
and believe me i know you cant just tell him that and hes gonna go 'ok , ive let go , im better now' it takes years of therapy . during that time he will need to learn coping skills , up until now its been alcohol . i know with my ah whenever things get stressful , he starts drinking & using . he knows no other way and until he is willing to learn another way , hes never going to stop .

the trauma he suffered as a child may be the reason he turned to alcohol but it cannot be an excuse .
i know im not really saying anything that you dont already know . i am so sorry that you are going through this and pray for you .
LGLG07 is offline  
Old 04-11-2007, 09:20 AM
  # 6 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: anomaly
Posts: 2,180
understanding...i guess.
There's professional help.
My father is a Vitman vet also.
Just wacthing the beginning of a twisted sister vedio (we're not going to
take it) is just a glims of my childhood, execpt no one came in to save me.
i bascially had shell shock and started shacking in my boots just seeing that.
Those words and demeaner were excactly the same things the my father
would do, execpt i got wacked stupid hard at the end.
Years and years of it.

i don't really know how others deals with my ptsd.
I didn't know how to deal with it myself. it's hidden under layers and layers.
I numb myself and go into denial mode so i could servive.
I learned how to numb myself out before ever picking up my first drink.
When a got old enough as a teen, drugs and alcohol where just extenal source of numbing myself.
i don't think i was ever sexually abused, if i was, it was probably blocked out.
There's things i know that i wish i've had never known.
seriousely...the truth...you can't handle the truth.

It wasn't until over a decade of recovery, being clean and sober
and all these issues just came up and bit me in the ass.
I bascailly went crazy in recovery. Miss guided people would
say i was having a dry drunk.

The 12 steps dose deal with these issues, doing the 4th and 5th
steps. but is has to dealt with someone that had been there and
understands and had gone through this process.
i had to go back and re-face all those pain again to release it.
Those emotions are real and as if i was living it again.
Someone has to guide me out of it.
I would recommend a professional , if you can afford it.

There's story's in the BB of AA that has semilar experiences.
Someone in recovery came into my life with those experince
when i was ready to face it or let go of it.
He knew what was happening to me and not to miss understood it
as a dry drunk. ESH

Last edited by SaTiT; 04-11-2007 at 09:41 AM.
SaTiT is offline  
Old 04-11-2007, 09:51 AM
  # 7 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: anomaly
Posts: 2,180
My dortor miss dianose me in my earliy recovery.
He was percribing me prozac and try to trun me into a prozac baby.
I had Add...will, yeah...it was kind of hard to consentrate each day
if I was going to get my ass kick after 5 p.m.
SaTiT is offline  
Old 04-11-2007, 10:52 AM
  # 8 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: southern indiana
Posts: 2,145
hiya hope.....my xh was diagnosed with ptsd, also. in my hubs case, it was as big, bad, and ugly as the alcoholism.

i know there have to be people that can recover from this and have a better life....my xh wasn't one of them.....yet. maybe oneday.

my xh therapist told him that if he were to begin therapy for his past abuse as a child, that there would be many days that he would rather be in the pitts of hell than to continue with one more day of therapy, because it would be so intense and painful emotionally. the rewards of that, would be the road to recovery.

what a thing to tell an alcoholic already shivering in their shoes and crappin in their shorts, huh? i knew the moment that she told him that, all bets were off....the bottle was easier to crawl into then to face trial by fire.

i truly hope your husband can get better.

ironically, i was diagnosed from the same thing from living with his chaos, abuse, and alcoholism.
embraced2000 is offline  
Old 04-11-2007, 11:07 AM
  # 9 (permalink)  
Member
 
Zoey's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: over yonder
Posts: 1,548
The 4th and 5th step in AA can be a great help, I agree with Satit, find a professional 5th step person.

Even if a person trys alcohol, many cannot become alcoholic.
He may be abuseing alcohol, but with alcoholism in his biological family
i would suspect he is an alcoholic and should try rehab first.

I feel alcohol may be making the PTSD disorder worse.

See if you can call an addiction counselor and ask if getting rid of the alcohol might help cope,
Zoey is offline  
Old 04-11-2007, 07:43 PM
  # 10 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
hopeangel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: oh
Posts: 757
thank you all

he had a very intense therapy session tonight and, sure enough, he walked in the door drunk, saying "i had a really hard session tonight and i'm drinking-i had a headache when i left, i'm sorry"
i just said okay, you know you don't have to drink you could talk to me. i love you. what good is therapy if you are immediately drinking to forget it? you should take time to process it and let it sink in, so it can help.
it is so sad. embarrassing, but i know you will understand. he loses control of his bodily functions when he drinks and i bought him depends - i explained very clearly that i did NOT do it to humiliate him. i did it because this is what it has come to and if this is what he chooses then he is not going to ruin my furniture and things. he told me tonight he would wear them.
ahhh i'm just sad for how much he is hurting. i know it has to get worse before it gets better.
i know you will ask how i am doing. i am okay. i will try to be supportive as much as i can, but i am also facing the reality that it may not get better and he may have years and years of therapy ahead of him. i am continuing to do what i need for me. i am trying to do what i can to move forward with my life in whatever ways i can.
thanks for the support!!!
hopeangel is offline  
Old 04-11-2007, 07:47 PM
  # 11 (permalink)  
Let Go Let God
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: jersey shore
Posts: 437
just another ride on the roller coaster . im soooo sorry it has taken this direction . the only way he knows how to cope is with alcohol, he needs to learn another way . life is full of stress .. i wish you well and i hope you really are doing things to take care of you
LGLG07 is offline  
Old 04-11-2007, 07:56 PM
  # 12 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
hopeangel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: oh
Posts: 757
i'm trying

thanks
hopeangel is offline  
Old 04-11-2007, 10:06 PM
  # 13 (permalink)  
Member
 
Zoey's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: over yonder
Posts: 1,548
I am really curios, is his therapist trained in alcoholism?
Zoey is offline  
Old 04-12-2007, 04:33 AM
  # 14 (permalink)  
Member
 
newenglandgirl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: By the sea
Posts: 415
Hey Hope Angel,

Just thinking of you and wondering how you are doing this morning


I think Zoey asks a good question.
newenglandgirl is offline  
Old 04-12-2007, 04:51 AM
  # 15 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
hopeangel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: oh
Posts: 757
good morning

well, he should be at work in 15 minutes and he is not moving- he didn't where the depends last night so i have a big urine spot on my floor. grrrr...is this late stages alcoholism? how do you handle this?
no,the therapist does not specialize in alcoholism. i asked her because i have been frustrated that until now she didn't seem to be moving fast enough with him or giving him to correct help. funny, because when i called i explained and it was referred to her. she says that she certainly has treated and seen a lot of alcoholics, but i can tell that in a lot of things she does not have the education in it (i think i have more-hehe) anyway, but i hesitate to suggest a new therapist for him or try to find someone else because he has developed a relationship with her and what if someone new he does not like.
yes, i too believe that the alcoholism has to be treated first. i will kindly suggest inpatient treatment to him again today if there is a time he is open for discussion. i really think that is what he needs.
hopeangel is offline  
Old 04-12-2007, 05:11 AM
  # 16 (permalink)  
My Cape Is at The Cleaners
 
Mr. Christian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Metropolis
Posts: 1,117
Hope,

We live in an age of excuses for everything. The new “BIG” one is this bi polar clap trap.
Nobody seems too ever be at fault for any actions anymore.

What about all the people who have gone through all that and are not raging drunks?

Is he going to AA, or would that be putting the cure in his hands?

It sounds to me like he has just gotten an excuse to drink.
Mr. Christian is offline  
Old 04-12-2007, 05:16 AM
  # 17 (permalink)  
Let Go Let God
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: jersey shore
Posts: 437
Im so sorry Hope .. I know that feeling of helplessness .
I can tell you what happened with my husband . I thought for sure that treating the ptsd first was the way to go but I was wrong . He needed to detox and have some inpatient treatment so he could learn other coping skills so when they did start therapy on the ptsd and he was stressed he would be able to handle it without drinking . Its a long struggle and we went through several therapist before we found a place where he could do his iop and meet with different therapist one on one each week . one for alcoholism , one for depression , one for ptsd . Hes was very happy and confortable there . Its still an uphill battle . We are still struggling .
Sending lots of prayers your way , hoping you make it through the day .
If hes willing today , you can drive him right to the hospital and he can detox there .. good luck
LGLG07 is offline  
Old 04-12-2007, 05:30 AM
  # 18 (permalink)  
Let Go Let God
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: jersey shore
Posts: 437
i do agree with you Mr C . All of this therapy isnt working for my ah because bottom line is ... he wants to drink . He is not ready to stop drinking and face these things that cause his ptsd and depression . I pray that hope has a different outcome
LGLG07 is offline  
Old 04-12-2007, 06:38 AM
  # 19 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Pasadena,Ca
Posts: 147
Dealing with PTSD and childhood trauma can be very intense and very painful. I am doing that work right now. Frankly, I never could have done this work without a very solid sobriety. I have been sober for 12 years.

I really believe one needs to deal with the alcoholism first, not matter what the cause. Ultimately... the cause is that the person has the disease. Get the disease in check, then deal with the rest.

Good luck.
-K
socalgal is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:41 PM.