I Think My Trauma Is Effecting Me In Sports

[Tigergirl1217]

Hello everyone,

For a long time my traumatic experience with having a catheter forced in me when I was a young child for bladder problems it has been haunting me. When I started medication for anxiety its gotten better but it still is interfering me with people. It's hard to tell if it's trauma or social anxiety. Currently it is really hard being around my softball coach and it is effecting my skills. I would always have weird thought or dreams of her watching me get a painful catheterization while I'm screaming and crying and she stares at my genitals.
It's really hard to explain in person

How do I explain it to my doctors? it is really getting to me now

 

[Lucycat]

Do you have a therapist? If not you can tell a doctor that you had a bad medical experience as a child, that was very intimate and is still bothering you and you would like referral for psychological help. If the words won't come out you can write it down and show the doctor. They will have seen/heard it all before so you have no reason to be embarrassed.

You can have help with this, but you need to take that first step.

 

[Tigergirl1217]

Do you have a therapist? If not you can tell a doctor that you had a bad medical experience as a child, t...

I do have a psychiatrist and I will give it a try and write it all down

 

[Aarow]

Exactly how you said it here would be just fine. It is clear and honest. Your psychiatrist should react in a gentle and thoughtful way; to say this as a young patient deserves respect as it is obviously not an easy thing to say. I find if I have difficult things to say to doctors, I write it down and take it to the appointment, as Lucycat said. It is a great back-up if i start tripping over my words.

What a painful thing to happen to you when you were so little! I hope there was someone to comfort you then. Good luck!

 

[Tigergirl1217]

Exactly how you said it here would be just fine. It is clear and honest. Your psychiatrist should react in...

I also feel like they won't take me seriously, how do I show it is a greater problem than they think

 

[joeylittle]

I also feel like they won't take me seriously, how do I show it is a greater problem than they think

Don't assume you know what they will think or say. But it's totally fair to tell them, "I'm also afraid you will think this is nothing - but it is really affecting me strongly, and I need help moving through this".

Then, make sure you listen to what they are actually saying. It's hard to not interpret things through the lens of our own fears.

 

[Aarow]

Joeylittle said it perfectly. And write your fear down as well, so you won't get tongue-tied. I know it's hard. I'm far to old to be squemish about talking to doctors or therapists. But I am, especially about private, difficult things. Especially if I fear crying in front of them, or any stranger. Just the thought of that makes me a little crazy. I hope it goes well for you, and turns out easier than you thought. Take care TriggerGirl.

 

[Kailani]

I recommend that you say that you had medical procedures done as a child that surprisingly caused PTSD symptoms and you would like a referral to a therapist please to feel better.

They don't need to know everything; just enough to write a referral

Symptoms could be; nightmares, increased anxiety....whatever you have.

Hope it goes great for you!

 

[Tigergirl1217]

Joeylittle said it perfectly. And write your fear down as well, so you won't get tongue-tied. I know it's...

Just want to update and say I have an appointment with my psychiatrist tomorrow noon, thank you all for the helpful advice