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Undiagnosed New Here And Not Sure I Belong

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Hello there. I stumbled upon this website and was greatly moved to join. I have never been diagnosed with PTSD but have been suffering the results of violence in my younger years. I was sexually abused as a child by a family member and was then raped while in college. I have been in and out of therapy to deal with the aftermath, experienced both good and bad therapists and have had people in my life who have been unsupportive and supportive. As much as I think this no longer bothers me, I am learning that many of my now behaviors or coping (or lack of) is as a result of what I experienced. I have had certain things that trigger me to where I put up huge walls and shut down. I have trust issues, I have control issues and it is hard for me to share with my husband, as supportive and loving as he is, he has his own issues that he has never addressed. He was also abused as a child and is former military and law enforcement. I guess I want somewhere to share where I feel safe and want to help others too. I just know that I have not survived all I have for nothing....there is a bigger plan that God has for me.
 
Dear @shrinkingviolet firstly welcome to the forum and a :hug: from the UK if you accept.

Secondly please get a diagnosis as I am too a childhood sex assault and rape survivor (male)

I have numerous issues. one of which is PTSD from Multiple Child Assaults and sex abuse
 
I gladly accept your hugs @Santa_Laurie and thank you. I wonder, how would I go about it? Does it need to come from a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist? Most of the therapists I have met with were victim advocates or family counselors. I have been suffering from migraines lately, very badly which I know one of my triggers are stress. It's caused me to miss a lot of work and led to depression.
 
Go and speak with your DR - request a referral for a PTSD diagnositic test under the diagnostic model
 
Suggest talking to local women's refuge - they often run really good short free courses and have therapists or know of them - they know about coercive control - good starting point even if you don't think you qualify - they will assess that and refer to appropraite person
 
Hello welcome to the forum.

None of us have the ability to tell you if you have PTSD. I would strongly recommend speaking with your family doctor and getting a mental health referral (your insurance may be alllw you to skip this step). You'll want to see someone who is licensed to do diagnosis and treatment plans.

Most shelters, and a lot of charity's will offer free or low cost counseling options but don't have the ability to give a diagnosis. This could be a good option if you are just looking for help with your coping strategies and understanding your thought processes.

If you feel a diagnosis would be more beneficial than you will need to see someone licensed for that. They will likely ask you to describe the abuse as well as discuss any issues you currently feel. They may or may not have a questionnaire for you to complete. Trauma can also contribute to other mental health diagnosis, or you may be told you don't have PTSD. I can't tell you if you do. If they decide they would rather do treatment without diagnosing you please don't take that as invalidation of your experiences. Treatment and recovery are more important than diagnosis.

Sorry I'm in a weird brain space today so if this doesn't make any sense or is unhelpful let me know.
 
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