PTSD and abuse.

[dreama]

Hi, I hope nobody minds me making this thread to improve my understanding of PTSD. Or the poll.

I have several reasons why I am curious.

I'm just wondering if abuse would cause PTSD by default, or you would have to have certain other symptoms?
Would abuse be cause for other mental health problems such as high anity, depression, or personality disorder?

I'm also wondering about Big T and little t. My experiences fall between the two. So would their be a middle T as well?

I've just edited this original post as people seemed to think I was just wanting to talk about me. I want to talk about PTSD generally. Some of the characters I am writing about in my novel have PTSD. So I want to learn more.

 

[jazzy]

Hi, I hope nobody minds me making this poll to improve my understanding of PTSD. Or the poll.

I have several reasons why I am curious. First of all I have expereience of rape and domestic violence. I don't have flashbacks but somethings related to my experience do have an affect on me. For example when I first moved here If the dog was barking in the night I got very affraid of M,Z or X comming back to attack me. It's also affected me in other ways as I used to work as a masseur. Now I can't bear recieving a massage. Let alone giving one out. I've not had any other relationships since then either. That was 8 years ago.

So their is the abuse. But not the flashbacks. Only memories. I'm just wondering if abuse would cause PTSD by defalt, or you would have to have certain other symptoms?
Would abuse be cause for other mental health problems such as high anity, depression, or personality disorder?

I'm also wondering about Big T and little t. My experiences fall between the two. So would their be a middle T as well?

Sadly yes for you. I deal with my two sisters and theri PTSD which it is not easy for me to handle theirs. I have to be careful what I say to them otherwise they get so anixety and get so upset and emotionally. Of course they went to therapy for many years but from what they told me they have to live with it for rest of their lives.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

This is something that you need to ask a therapist about and not us.

 

[Hear Again]

just because someone is abused does not mean they have or will develop ptsd. i agree with ocean that your question should be discussed with a therapist. none of us have the mental health background to be able to answer it for you. having said that, i was diagnosed with ptsd recently and experienced 4 different traumas over an 18 year period. just because i developed ptsd doesn't mean the next person will. there are too many factors that determine who will have ptsd and who won't.

 

[jazzy]

This is something that you need to ask a therapist about and not us.

True, they went and they were diagnosied by thier therapists.

 

[Hear Again]

i'm not a therapist or psychiatrist, but it is my understanding that one must experience a variety of symptoms that may or may not include flashbacks in order to be diagnosed with ptsd. if you suspect that you have ptsd dreama, i would contact a therapist or psychiatrist for an evaluation.

 

[SFShawn13]

This is something that you need to ask a therapist about and not us.

Yup. My psychologist diagnosed me with PTSD, she needs to definately see professional.

 

[Hear Again]

physical, emotional and sexual abuse can indeed cause depression.

 

[Hear Again]

there is no such thing as a "middle t" trauma -- only "big t" and "little t."

 

[dreama]

Hi Hear again. I was really just asking in general terms to develop a greater understanding of PTSD. I think I'll change my original post to clarify things. As I wanted this to be a general discussion about PTSD. Not just all about me.

 

[SFShawn13]

Okay: Well I was abused as a child (physically/emotionally) and witnessed a lot of domestic violence. I was out of that environment by the time I was 14 years old.

But the PTSD symptoms did not show up until I was around 17 years old. I've been seeing my therapist for about a year, and the symptoms are pretty much gone.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

Okay: Well I was abused as a child (physically/emotionally) and witnessed a lot of domestic violence. I was out of that environment by the time I was 14 years old.

But the PTSD symptoms did not show up until I was around 17 years old. I've been seeing my therapist for about a year, and the symptoms are pretty much gone.

That's pretty typical. PTSD doesn't result until after the trauma is passed. Jillio can back this up for me, but as I have come to understand, PTSD becomes a way of how a person re-integrates into the world after trauma? It's basically faulty "wiring", or how the person may perceive the world after they've experienced severe trauma.

Jillio, your thoughts?

 

[Hear Again]

ocean is right. i was abused for 18 years, but my ptsd didn't develop until 20 years later. my therapist told me this isn't unusual and that there are several types of ptsd: acute, chronic and delayed onset. in acute ptsd, symptoms last less than 3 months. in chronic ptsd, symptoms last 3 months or more. in delayed onset ptsd, symptoms first appear at least 6 months after a traumatic event.

 

[dreama]

Sadly yes for you. I deal with my two sisters and theri PTSD which it is not easy for me to handle theirs. I have to be careful what I say to them otherwise they get so anixety and get so upset and emotionally. Of course they went to therapy for many years but from what they told me they have to live with it for rest of their lives.

That must be difficult. I went out with someone who was abused who was people phobic. He was also a compulsive liar and a complete nightmare! Of course I know that not all PTSD sufferers are like that. He used his disorder to minipulate people so our relationship didn't end well.

I don't think people should feel they have to be too careful what they say. PTSD or any other disorder should not be used to manipulate people with. That's when suspictions start to creep in.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

ocean is right. i was abused for 18 years, but my ptsd didn't develop until 20 years later. my therapist told me this isn't unusual and that there are 2 kinds of ptsd: acute and delayed. acute ptsd takes place when symptoms occur 3 months following a given trauma. delayed onset ptsd (which is what i have) takes place when symptoms occur 6 months or more after the trauma has passed.

I developed PTSD in my 20s, but wasn't diagnosed until my mid-30s.

 

[Hear Again]

Hi Hear again. I was really just asking in general terms to develop a greater understanding of PTSD. I think I'll change my original post to clarify things. As I wanted this to be a general discussion about PTSD. Not just all about me.

you were referring to yourself in your OP. hence, the reason i addressed my responses the way i did.

 

[SFShawn13]

Yeah, it can show up later. I have the DSM-IV-TR, it's interesting to read about.

 

[Hear Again]

I developed PTSD in my 20s, but wasn't diagnosed until my mid-30s.

i've shown signs of ptsd for the past 20 years, but wasn't officially diagnosed until a few weeks ago (i'm 38).

 

[Hear Again]

Yeah, it can show up later. I have the DSM-IV-TR, it's interesting to read about.

one can also read the diagnostic criteria of ptsd on the internet. all they need to do is conduct a google search for "ptsd + dsm + diagnostic criteria."

 

[SFShawn13]

one can also read the diagnostic criteria of ptsd on the internet. all they need to do is conduct a google search for "ptsd + dsm + diagnostic criteria."

From the DSM-IV-TR? That's the most recent version of the DSM. And I would NEVER self diagnose.