• 💖 [Donate To Keep MyPTSD Online] 💖 Every contribution, no matter how small, fuels our mission and helps us continue to provide peer-to-peer services. Your generosity keeps us independent and available freely to the world. MyPTSD closes if we can't reach our annual goal.

Sufferer Legal Abuse Syndrome

Status
Not open for further replies.

Tenderheart

New Here
I was just diagnosed with PTSD from a prolonged, 10 years, and nasty legal battle. It was my understanding that PTSD was only for vets coming back from war. I guess there are other ways to fight wars, mine was in the court room trying to fight off the onslaught of unethical attorneys and Judges. I believe I fought for a good cause, but it has taken its toll on me. My nerves are shot, I have anxiety from the minute I wake up until I go to bed. Thoughts of what they did, the power they had over me and my children is with me always. I want to have a life, but I still deal with the consequences everyday. I feel guilty for feeling this way as there are so many other people who have been through much worse. I think the feeling of being powerless, and abused by a system I had faith in has shaken my foundation. My feelings about people and the world have changed forever and my trust level is very low. A psychologist involved in the battle betrayed me and my family with lies, along with two other professionals in this field, all my attorneys, and the judges. You might discount my view point, as it seems it is overboard. It took along time to see it myself, but my investigations proved correct. Recently, I read a book called "Legal Abuse Sydrome" by Karen Huffer who describes just what happened to me. It was so reasuring to know what I had and how I developed PTSD.
 
Welcome to the forum. I look forward to hearing more about this.
 
Sheesh Tenderheart.

I feel for you. As someone who is currently going through a complicated complaint against a psychologist who also betrayed me with lies about me (in the complaint procedure) I am feeling similar affects at the moment about loss of faith in systems, justice, powerlessness etc. etc. So I cannot imagine 10 years of something similar in legal battleground... I can well see how it could be traumatising.

Sorry for talking about myself in YOUR introduction, I just wanted to demonstrate that I relate somewhat to you.

It saddens me that systems, organisations, and professionals - the very people who should be protecting us, betray and abuse their power. I hope to read more of you and then you find this forum helpful.

Lisa.
 
Hi tenderheart, welcome to the forum. I have questions though relating to what you are saying here, in that LAS itself is not definitive to be classified for giving PTSD under the current diagnostic criteria, however; I read your other post here where you where mentioning times in the depression, people killing themselves and so forth. What have you seen or witnessed in this regard? If you have seen this type of suffering, then its not LAS that gave you PTSD, but more you had it and it was just waiting to surface when you where placed under extreme stress with legal battles.

I am curious, nothing more. I am not asking you to justify yourself, nor am i dismissing your PTSD, just curious.
 
Anthony, you have a good point, but as I also know of LAS first hand. I feel it's likely to be the closest and non-violent mental issue can get to PTSD.
 
I am not familiar but would like to know more and can imagine the stress that can be placed on one caught in such a legal battle. I know firsthand how words are quoted improperly by therapist and doctors. If the note said it, it happened. If it didnt say it-it didnt.

I have learned a lot about the legal system in the past few years and much is not so good. A person can be indicted by a grand jury and charged, out on bail, prepare with a defense attorney, and because the prosecutor is unprepared for the trial date, the case can be dismissed-only to be re-indicted in the next grand jury, then again charged, jailed, bailed out, etc. It can repeat a few times. This is injustice in my opinion. It can cause job loss in addition to unnecessary stress. I dont know anybody this happened to but am learning a lot from conversations with a new attorney intern.

When I was about 10 or 11 and my mother was alcoholic, I had to testify in a courtroom of people. I was cross examined and it was pretty cruel. I told the truth and ended up in an orphanage because my mom was found unfit. I have hated courtrooms ever since. Makes me wanna pee my pants if I have any involvement. I find it very intimidating to this day, even though it has never been anything real serious (divorce, mediation for accident settlement, etc). It is not about justice in my opinion.

I am very sorry for your experience.
 
I have learned a lot about the legal system in the past few years and much is not so good. A person can be indicted by a grand jury and charged, out on bail, prepare with a defense attorney, and because the prosecutor is unprepared for the trial date, the case can be dismissed-only to be re-indicted in the next grand jury, then again charged, jailed, bailed out, etc. It can repeat a few times. This is injustice in my opinion. It can cause job loss in addition to unnecessary stress. I dont know anybody this happened to but am learning a lot from conversations with a new attorney intern.
"Abuse of discretion" isn't supposed to happen, "legal ethics" is supposed to be a serious thing, etc. I've had a history with (a different method of) abuse of discretion, developed severe PTSD symptoms, but there was the assault/battery/etc to give me that.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top