Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? After Sexual Assault
Dec 29, 2015
I am too scared to ask my psychologist about this, i have been having flashbacks for a long time now of sexual assault when i was much younger (ages 3 to 5 most likely). they can be triggered by events or come out of nowhere. i am feeling a bit better now, but for about a month it felt like i was having non-stop back-to-back panic attacks because of this.
i can remember the event but i still have a lot of doubt and feel like my mind is tricking me into thinking that it's real. i've told my psychologist, but i don't want to right out ask if this is ptsd. i really just want something to call this.
View 3 Replies
Advertisement
I was recently diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The difference between C-ptsd and PTSD is that Complex happens over an extended period of time, and usually originates in childhood. Whereas PTSD is typically a one-time traumatic event (such as rape, war, etc).
After spending my entire life in pain, confusion, and emotionally abusive relationships, I finally have an answer. While it is a big relief, the process of recovery is not easy. I feel like there are two versions of me: The chameleon who has put on a good act and adapted for the sake of everyone else, and the real me, who has been hidden all these years. I'm just now starting to get to know the real me.
This is a relatively new diagnosis, and it didn't make it into the new DSM, but I read where someone said that Complex PTSD is at the core of a great many mental health issues.
View 6 Replies
I think I am losing my mind. I am a 37 year old female firefighter married to a firefighter. I have been doing this type of work for nearly 18 years. This morning, I got my 3 older kids off to school and came in and started reading the news. Long story short, I heard mayday calls from Boston's 9 alarm fire and I think I had a panic attack from there. I had problems hearing initially, everything sounded like it was far away. I was cold, chattering teeth shortly after, then I threw up. It has been a downhill spiral since. My husband thinks this is all related to a ceiling collapse I went through in November. He think PTSD is at play. But I really have never felt any anxiety over that after getting out. So I'm not sure. I don't know what to do but every minute is longer then the last and I feel fear that is making it hard to breathe. I don't know what to do.
View 6 Replies
The first twenty years of my life had a variety of chronic torture & abuse. As a child my home life constantly shifted and alcohol, physical and mental violence was the order of the day. I felt wholly unworthy as a person to be alive. It drove me into drug addiction for eight years. Within the first year, the dealer and his friends cornered me into the back of his shop and raped me, protracting the incident over three days. My addiction exploded and it forced me into dealing with the rapist for a length of time after the incident occurred. I did not develop PTSD at the time, my drug addiction was becoming life threatening and I spent the next twelve years in and out of rehab until I finally one day carved out a functional routine for myself. Life became better, I worked in a shop, got creatively involved and got married (Although I was never able to fall pregnant). Years later we decided to immigrate to Australia. My husband collided with the culture from day one. Within a short period of time he became manic. We had just given everything up and returning back would be security suicide I felt, so I found work, moved us out. My husband tormented me for the next two years until it exploded one afternoon with police coming to arrest him. In the last days of my time in Australia I worked abnormally long hours to pay migration costs, as I wouldn't be able to, once returning to South Africa in an unemployed state.
Landing back in S.A I was hit with the chronic diabetic condition of my mother, who had not gone to one doctor about her condition. I dug in to get her health back to a manageable level for almost a year before I found employment and finally moved out. The nightmare began then. After a court order against my now ex-husband, I landed in a strange town, with new work, where no-one knew me.
Nightmares began to pour into my sleep about the rape that happened over twenty years ago. Functionality levels became dangerously low. I sought help, but without any real finances I was thrown into a system of waiting and small bits of attention here and there. Being alone also didn't help. I had already lost my first job, after flashes bled into my waking hours. A friend came from Australia, three years after my landing back here and saw my condition. These episodes have already taken on a form of torture that has made me terrified to talk about them. Somehow one of the men who raped me, detached themselves into a character that would invade my mind throughout the day and talk to me, telling me of new ways to torture me, that I will never be okay again, that I will always be stuck here. My friend is adamant about me leaving work and seeking help...I am terrified that I will be put away into an institution.
View 2 Replies
After years of trying to deal with this on my own I finally got help with a diagnosis of PTSD. I was prescribed Hydroxyzine for anxiety and Prazosin for nightmares. I have not taken either yet as I am wary of taking anything...even when the doctor says it will help. Has anyone tried either of these medications?
My trauma stems from very violent situations a few years ago that are so difficult to talk about I can barely breathe when I even try and get the words out of my mouth. It has left lasting scars both physical and mental that seem a daily reminder or like having a giant necklace of rocks hung around my neck constantly pulling me down.
View 1 Replies
I feel like I'm on the outside of everything. I don't feel much of anything, most of the time, and I always just want to be alone because I feel I have to pretend in front of other people. I've been through awful things during my life, the most recent being the loss of two beloved pets within 4 months of each other. Yes, I consider their passing to be awful. I've been through cancer, abuse, abandonment, etc. My earliest memory is witnessing my mother being beaten by my father.
I'm not a miserable, unhappy person, normally. Lately, I just haven't been able to feel or care about much. I'm tired. Mentally and emotionally drained. I have zero energy for other people, which saddens me deeply. Often, all I want is to be left alone to stare at the wall or bury myself under the covers.
Maybe it's depression, but the reason I suspect some kind of PTSD is because my brain feels as though there's a block that prevents me from processing any new experiences. I don't know how to explain it...it's like wanting to run from the room, covering my ears with my hands to keep from hearing any bad news or having to deal with anything unpleasant.
View 1 Replies
Need female support and hugs, was raped at 19 and buried it for 22 years, tried counselling, speaking to a c.b.t therapist and my doctor, the last one was the best I'd have to say! I am trying to conceive and have found the c.b.t has highlighted ptsd due to events in the past ie this. Don't like sex all sorts of hang ups due to my past and nearly lost a really close friendship due to this, just feel dreadful as I'm sure but need evidence that it is events from the past that are stopping me from conceiving. Does anyone know where I can turn or what I can do next, just desperate to have someone else share my life, am aged 42 and feel he's ruined my chances forever!
View 4 Replies
I was assaulted nine years ago and I cannot seem to get past feelings of anger and feeling depressed about it. I just want to put it behind me as it is causing problems in my life. Could I be suffering from ptsd? After all of this time since it happened to me?
View 2 Replies
Basically, it seemed like it was at first then it just stopped, for ages (months) and it made me miserable because I was doing everything I could right, which was very difficult for me because I have an eating disorder. When I realised nothing was happening after all that hard work, combined with stress and misery (i have bpd and an anxiety disorder on top of the ed) I ended binging repeatedly. So in the end I just gained weight.
What do I do now? I've been trying so hard for the past year, exercise healthy eating instead of starving myself like i would usually resort to, and then orlistat. and then there was barely any difference in the end. I've now gained 10lbs from my start weight.
Is there any option after Orlistat, medication wise. I don't really want to contact my doctor until I know this as I'm embarrassed but I couldn't find any information online. I'm not heavy enough for a gastric band and I don't think that would necessarily even help me as it wasn't overeating that was the problem.
View 2 Replies
I was originally diagnosed in 2010. I have recently been told I have a urinary infection, but apart from the fact that two lots of antibiotics don't seem to be working, all my symptoms relate to this, especially an irregular heartbeat and confusion.
View 3 Replies
Since tuesday I woke up and it hurt when I went to the toilet and I managed to go but I think its made it really really sore and I've felt like I really need to go since then but it just hurts too much everytime I try to push. Please don't say to eat fibre because that's not what the problem is, I think it was caused by stress, but now its so sore I don't know what to do it hasn't even felt better over two nights.
please help, should I still eat? I feel like I don't want to eat incase it just builds up, I don't know what to do I'm uncomfortable because I want to go but it hurts to much when I try.
View 5 Replies
The best and most foolproof way to remove stress is through laughter. Find something you enjoy, spend some time with a loved one, or walk around the block with a neighbor. People, love, and laughter always do the trick!
View 28 Replies
I'm 19 years old and is it normal to have Hemorrhoids ? ? I noticed a lump at the anal verge like an year ago . So does everyone has it ?
Or does normally hemorrhoidal cannot be seen since they must first swell and become inflamed or develop a clot to cause problems ?
So at first i thought it was normal to have this lump since it didn't cause any problems . Therefore i didn't bother about it . Even now i don't have any problem with it. It doesn't pain or bleed . Although it does itch sometimes. But irritation goes away soon. I'm really worried about it.
View 1 Replies
First apologise for spelling and grammar I'm dyslexic.
I first decided to come off lithium because of wanting a child . I was now with a man I'm crazy In Love with and about to be married this summer .
Also found out though blood test the lithium was causing low kidney function to my one kidney.
Coming off was a breeze until a week after my last dose. My chest is so tight with anxiety I feel like I murdered someone and I'm running for life .
Massive sense of guilt & fear and panic. I'm not dealing well with anything.
The only thing that makes me happy and at ease is Richards unconditional love . And planning my wedding . Started a new job and may get fired due to my anxiety and hecticness . I'm all over the place racing thought . Clumsy can't remember anything . I was a fashion designer for many years now I've gone into teaching . And it's my first real course I'll be teaching .
Waiting to see my therapist again in a few weeks but this has had such a domino effect on me . I'm also not sleeping ! Two three hours if I'm lucky .
View 1 Replies
Lately I've been taking lithium (this will be week 3) I finally feel I am sort of seeing a difference. I can actually think now, understand things a little better, and overall I'm feeling good. But I need to know is lithium supposed to make your moods go up and down while you are still getting used to the meds? For examp. last week (which was wk 2) I was completely manic in front of my stupid coworkers. I had no idea until I was sitting on the bus to go home. Also I've been switching moods. Like from depression to mania....
View 3 Replies
I'm new here but from what I've read I'm probably far from the first person to post about this. I'm just looking for other peoples advice/experience to help calm my nerves.
About me, I am male and 25 yo average weight/height.
For the past few months I've been having some bowel problems. Starting around October last year I began having on and off issues with some slight indigestion and small amounts of bright red blood when I had a BM. These issues would come and go. I had a small issue similar to this in 2014 and had a colonoscopy performed to check. The test didn't find anything out of the ordinary. In November of last year I had a Flexible Sigmoidoscopy performed due to the recent issues. This test came back saying that I had internal hemorrhoids but nothing else. I didn't do much to treat them and just sort of hoped they'd go away.
The mild issues continued until about late January/early February when I was hit with a week long bout of indigestion, excess gas etc. As these issues continued the bleeding ramped up until I was seeing bright red blood staining the toilet bowel each time I had a BM. It didn't seem like an immense amount of blood but it was enough to tint the water and toilet paper red. Due to these issues I went back to GI doctor around the second week of February. He did an examination with his hand and noted that I had internal hemmies and slight inflammation. He pointed this out as the most likely cause of the bleeding given the results of my previous tests. He recommended I start taking Konsyl fiber supplement and Preparation H suppositories.
After starting with the suppositories the indigestion and excess gas went away as well as the excess blood. My usual BM schedule resumed (1/day). Since then however I still see small streaks of what looks like bright red blood with each BM. Some days are not as bad as others but it seems like there is always a small amount of blood there. I've also had an intense itching sensation down there that would come and go every once in a while. Like I said before for the last 2 months I've been going at the same rate and the stool consistency is normal. I don't seem to have any excessive pain or weight loss.
My main question is for anyone who has had hemorrhoids. Can bleeding last this long? One thing I've noticed is that I seem to have fairly large/hard stools which I think may be causing trouble. I wouldn't call it constipation exactly just that the stools are large/dry and often require some light straining to expel. I also work a desk job and have a 2 hour daily driving commute. I've recently bought a seat cushion for my chair and car with hopes that it will help.
I'm sorry for the wall of text. I want to get past this but I am an extremely anxious person and this bleed issue is ruining me. I'm scheduled for a follow up with my GI in 2 weeks and am getting the sinking feeling that I'm in for another colonoscopy.
P.S. I've also had an abdomen CT scan in early 2015 due to a separate issue. No problems were found.
View 7 Replies
I have been diagnosed with bipolar for 8 years now and have been on Lamictal and Risperidone at different mg's. Just this week I have gone through one of my manic stages and my wife has said that is enough for her. She is asking that I leave the home we built together and the children we raised. I have no idea how to handle this. I am on the backend of my cycle however I know the level of regret I will have once I'm completely. Am i the only one that this disease has affected everyone around them? I feel alone and truly have no one to confide in.
View 2 Replies
I have a brother with paranoid personality disorder. He was always paranoid as long as I remember. I am 6 years younger then him. Every time when I tried to speak with him he was suspicious about my attentions, it can be rather annoying. But I restrain myself because I am aware of his situation. Since our parents have died he became impossible to talk with. What should I do?
View 2 Replies
I just wanted to know if Bipolar is genetic. My was recently told that my grandad is bipolar and wondered if I was to as I believe I have some sort of mental problem. I don't really know much about bipolar and be good to learn about it also, not just from reading books and websites but from people who actually experience it themselves or with other people.
View 4 Replies
Anyone out there have problems w/ the sphincter? Like "leakage"?
View 1 Replies
I'm 21 years old with a 2 year old daughter for starters. And I have been dealing with anxiety and depression totally unmedicated for about 3 years. It recently has gotten so bad that I don't even want to get out of bed, I can't make it through an 8 hour shift where I work (at a plastic factory) without wanting to breakdown. I'm trying really hard to do it myself by drinking green tea, positive thinking, taking vitamins, and small meditation breathing counting techniques. But I fear that it's not helping as much as I need it to and I feel like it is really taking a toll on every aspect of my life.
My mom really encourages me to speak to a therapist and get on medication, but I can't stop seeing that as the easy way out and I just don't like the feeling of having someone listening to my problems knowing that they have their life together enough it makes me feel really weak and vulnerable. But things are looking pretty bleak and I don't know if I have the energy or strength to keep going like this, something's gotta give.
So I was also just wondering
1 what a therapist would do for me, what a visit would be like
2 are there any medications that will uplift my mood but without any negative side effects such as insomnia, numb feeling, worsening my depression.
View 8 Replies
