Anyone Experienced Something Like This Before

[MomOfTwo]

I have been diagnosed with chronic ptsd. This past week my mom was over and being around her does stress me out a bit. I have to limit my phone calls or visits because she is a bit stressful to be around so I think that may have played a role. My husband asked me where my daughter was and I started yelling for her and my mom interuppted me and looked at me with great concern because my daughter was right in my lap. My mom said she is in your lap. I remember looking down and thinking for a few seconds who are you. My mom and husband were both concerned and in a way I was. I did not feel her in my lap and had no recollection of her climbing into my lap. I don't even recall my conversation with my mom. I know when I am stressed out I have a hard time focussing on any sort of conversation. Is this something common with PTSD? I told my mom I think it was from lack of sleep and laughed it off. However, I am a bit concerned.
Any feedback or thoughts would be great. Thanks so much.

 

[Bill Dickerson]

Stress will definitely cause symptoms to manifest. I once was dealing with a suspicious package and as I touched it I suddenly saw that my hand was a bloody stump as if blown off. I remember thinking why didn't I hear the explosion and surmising it was so loud my hearing must have left me. All of this only took a second or two but it felt much longer. I also remember thinking I need to radio for assistance but my right hand was a bloody stump and my mic was on my left shoulder making it difficult to use with my left hand. I looked toward my radio and then back to my hand which now had returned to normal.

Stress does weird things to you. I'm not sure how to classify your incident or mine for that matter. A flashback or dissociation can be very disturbing either way. Don't worry your not going crazy even if it feels that way sometimes. When your glass gets too full it overflows and symptoms manifest in unusual ways. It's something you should discuss with your T (Therapist).

 

[einzelganger]

It has happened to me before; being around my mother (which is very stressful given my past unhealthy relationship with her) Under stress my natural instinct is to shut down and dissociate. It was a coping skill that was useful during childhood in order to survive but as an adult it makes me feel out of control; like I am missing a large part of my life. One thing that I have done to help is first: try not to be too hard on myself, I'm my own worst enemy. And second: try to understand why I do it with the view that it is normal, given my history.

I agree with Bill that you should discuss this with your T.

 

[Shellbell]

I know exactly how you feel. Stress triggers things for me as well. I've recently been diagnosed with C-PTSD as well and told to avoid as much stress at the moment while I adjust to strong medication. I have wandered around at home, going from room to room trying to find something - only to realise 10 minutes later that it was in my hand all along. I also can't concentrate during conversations at all especially if I'm somewhere with lots of people and noise around.

I've stopped in the middle of a conversations recently and not known what we were just talking about. But even at home if there is noise with my children and the TV is on I can't concentrate or focus. I've always had concentration issues, but always assumed it was lack of sleep as I have chronic insomnia and now I realise it has been the PTSD all along, but now it's alot worse. I'm only at the beginning of therapy and have been told all this is symptoms of PTSD. I agree with the above as well - when the glass gets too full, it overflows and symptoms manifest in unusual ways and it's good to talk about it with a therapist.

 

[MomOfTwo]

Thanks everyone for your replies. ShellBel, I have done the same thing. Going room to room. I can't concentrate or focus as well and have chronic insomnia. Bill, I can't imagine and hope it gets better for you. It must be so traumatic to have images like that in your life. Wunjo, I am sorry your mom as well makes you dissociate. Mom's are supposed to be the soft place to fall and it does not happen for many people. I am thinking I dissociate more than I think and a psychiatrist told me she felt I was a lot worse then what I portrayed. I do know that my daughter has asked me a lot, "Are you my mama?" and I always felt it odd that she did that but maybe I appear to be different people to her. Not sure but it bothers me. I told my husband once and he thought it odd and I have never told my therapist.