Can You Get Ptsd From "everyday" Problems?

[SinceAChildPTSD]

Let me clarify. I am not only interested in "possibility" but also in whether or not it is likely.

Say a normal 3 year old child did something that causes his older relatives to rebuke him in their own cultural ways.
Although the criticisms were light - and probably were just jokes - the child was always suffering from anxiety, so he experiences extreme emotions due to his interpretation. He experiences embarrassment and remembers them far in excess to what he should be doing.

Furthermore - although he hates punishment - the child is quite defiant and continue to do things that society seemingly admonishes just because he wants to be different. The child may feel like some actions are wrong, but he does not "understand" much either. He can empathize with the feelings of others, but for some reason he feels like he cannot get rid of his awful behavior just yet.

Obviously, rebukes will keep on coming and this child will receive an increasingly negative reputation - some justified and some unjustified.
Ultimately, the amount of unjustified rebukes add up and so does the shame. Negative memories bring extreme anger, stuttering and avoidance.

Can this person be suffering from PTSD?

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

There is a requirement for PTSD that states someone must have experienced a particular type of trauma in order to meet the criterion for the disorder. What you have stated above doesn't appear to meet this criterion.

However, that does NOT mean that you aren't suffering and do not deserve help! If you are dealing with shame, negative memories, anger, stuttering and avoidance, then a therapist can most definitely help you to move forward and heal.

Do you have any other types of trauma in your life? I ask as sometimes people think that its a more minor thing that caused their PTSD when in fact it was a major trauma that they experienced at a different point in time.

I think your best bet at this point is to find a qualified trauma therapist or psychiatrist who can diagnose you.

I wish you the best!

Oh, but in regard to your title question....

Can you get PTSD from everyday problems?

Normal everyday problems? (Not of a traumatic nature) No.

Normal everyday problems of a traumatic nature that rise to the level of emotional/physical/sexual abuse? Yes. (I say it this way as many of us grew up in households where "normal" was getting the snot kicked out of us on a daily basis or being verbally assaulted for making a tiny mistake. So sad this was our "norm"

 

[anthony]

The answer is NO. You got it right with anxiety. People can suffer anxiety, depression, and many other disorders from what you wrote... but not PTSD.

 

[Pencil]

Instead of looking at what the history of the behavior may have resulted in, I would rather be looking at what caused the behavior in the first place. ADHD? Antisocial personality? Oppositional Defiant Disorder? There are many possibilities. However, PTSD is not a possibility.

 

[SinceAChildPTSD]

There is a requirement for PTSD that states someone must have experienced a particular type of trauma in order to meet the criterion for the disorder. What you have stated above doesn't appear to meet this criterion.

Well, can you get PTSD from things that you cannot even remember? I was the intelligent and crafty baby. One time, my dad went to get something in the kitchen and my 1 -2 year old self apparently unlocked the door, twisted the knob and walked out the front door. By the time my dad discovered me, I was way out on the sidewalk.
This happens once in a while in a lot of families from what I can tell. Reasonable punishment is necessary for the child to learn, do not be mistaken. Unfortunately, from what my mom told me, my punishment was a bit excessive apparently with some spanking reserved for older children.

Don't know if this was the ultimate cause of my anxiety and probable PTSD though. Mental illnesses seems to run in my family.

 

[NicG]

Hi, welcome :)

What do you mean by "a bit excessive"? To develop PTSD specifically, you have to have experienced a life-threatening trauma. Being spanked a little bit too hard wouldn't really cut it. Though I suppose it could cause other problems. Sorry if I'm misunderstanding you though.

You can get PTSD from repressed memories... but what kind of memory do you think might have caused it? The most common causes usually revolve around war-related trauma, car crashes, or sexual or domestic violence.
Anxiety, depression, a whole host of mental illnesses run in families, but PTSD does not. Are you seeing/thinking about seeing a psychologist or therapist about this? They would be able to diagnose you and help you better than we can.

 

[Suzetig]

Welcome. It sounds like you're trying to figure out what's causing you difficulties? It's entirely possible to experience really quite debilitating anxiety, shame and anger without it being PTSD or even trauma related necessarily. I'd echo others' recommendation to see a therapist who can help you unpick what's happening for you. Otherwise you run the risk of trying to shoehorn yourself into a condition that doesn't really fit, and honestly, if you don't have PTSD you really don't want it!

 

[Friday]

No.

Think rape, kidnapping, torture, war, trapped in rubble from an earthquake or bomb, bodies, collecting body parts... Not the 1,001 ways toddlers make us wonder how any of us survive to adulthood.

 

[SinceAChildPTSD]

I'd echo others' recommendation to see a therapist who can help you unpick what's happening for you.

Thanks, I am already seeing a good psychiatrist. My official diagnoses are Generalized Anxiety and OCD.

No. Think rape, kidnapping, torture, war, trapped in rubble from an earthquake or bomb, bodies, collecting body parts...

Actually, it is recognized that you can get PTSD from "low" trauma such as "normal" bullying.

 

[Suzetig]

Really? That's contrary to both the DSM-V and the ICD 9. Can you tell me where this is recognised.

It might also be worth thinking about how you feel about your current diagnosis and why you seem to be wanting to add PTSD to the mix.

 

[SinceAChildPTSD]

Really? That's contrary to both the DSM-V and the ICD 9. Can you tell me where this is recognised.

The PTSD part is actually from late childhood/middle-school. I most likely have OCD and Anxiety before that.

For the link, go to bullyonline

 

[ghotiff]

From bully online... I presume this is what is being referenced...note that below is a small section from their webpage.

PTSD, Complex PTSD and bullying
It's widely accepted that PTSD can result from a single, major, life-threatening event, as defined in DSM-IV. Now there is growing awareness that PTSD can also result from an accumulation of many small, individually non-life-threatening incidents. To differentiate the cause, the term "Complex PTSD" is used. The reason that Complex PTSD is not in DSM-IV is that the definition of PTSD in DSM-IV was derived using only people who had suffered a single major life-threatening incident such as Vietnam veterans and survivors of disasters.