Can You Get PTSD From Bullying?

[Deleted member 1860]

So where do you draw the line? Supposedly PTSD is caused by a triggering event that does NOT happen to everybody. I have seen people (on other websites) state that you can get PTSD from anything traumatic. Even so called "traumatic" things that happen to everybody...

Which leads to the question of what really is "traumatic"...I think that people will give a broad definition to this term in order to encompass situations which really aren't PTSD but may in fact be other disorders.

I think there should be a distinction made between people who just have a bad case of anxiety, and those who truly have PTSD. I've seen a lot of people say that they have PTSD, but I'm not so sure... Is this the new "fad" diagnosis?

By the way, I really am not referring to the bullying case because I don't know this person well enough, these are just questions I have in general regarding this issue.

 

[Claire]

I just want to say that PTSD isn't something you would want. If you get an official PTSD diagnosis that may be a relief to some and an answer to their situation but its not something you should latch on to just because you too have a few of their symptoms. Its not a good label.

PTSD sucks. It's not something I would wish on my worst enemy. So, if you haven't had a proper medical professional tell you that you have PTSD I would say you dont want to join this band wagon. Its not a good place to be and thinking that you have it may well stop you from getting the correct treatment for you own problems.

BTW this IS NOT aimed at anyone personally on here.

 

[fin]

I am in agreement with Claire on this, I cannot see the "fad" bit or the desirability of being diagnosed PTSD. The only help it has been to me is in trying to get help and treatment. I would not wish this on my worst enemy nor would I want to go out and tell people about it -unless in some way it was to try to help reduce the stigma of it. Because it is highly stigmatised and very little understood. I already have enough going against me having it without adding to it.

And supergirl - I agree with you also, my intro here left out just about everything, and I was still trying to come to terms and grips with it when I joined here. I was still seeing myself in the undeserving terms of being worthy of treating and also that of "being a malingerer that liked to just dwell on my issues". Someone that just couldn't get over it!

Blues - I was in a massive amount of denial as to what was impacting into my situation and I also had no idea how much my childhood had "worked its magic" on the rest of my life. And Scared of Lonely - I spent a long time playing down everything that had happened to me; "Rape" what was that? "..no I'm fine that didn't bother me at all, I am going just fine thankyou" I think you get the idea some. I did keep going, but then I had no choice -I couldn't get any help nor could I make my voice heard and be believed.

And yet little by little and occassionaly also not so little -PTSD was there right through my life, rearing its ugly head. Because I have maybe had this for such a large part of my life I could not see the whole picture of myself free of it at any point. Decisions not governd by it: I don't know that I have ever made any decisiosn or choices that were not as a result of trauma somehow.

I was not able to judge what was not "normal" so I could know how to get the right help. Because I thought everyone had what I had. The realisation has taken a long time. And trying to get help when I did start telling people after, got me no where. So it became harder again to fight judgment and hostility and break down some barrier to be heard.

Just as well we are not judging each other here - as Claire said; not aiming things at each other personally is a good place to be, we have had enough of that throughout our lives already. And I would like to refer to the bullying case, because somehow virtually all of my life - I have been bullied down and afraid to speak out against what has happened to me. So I do understand this.

I hope that this helps some
~fin

 

[becvan]

Bullying does NOT include assault, sexual assault, sexual harassment. When someone is speaking about bullying, it doesn't imply those more serious actions.

I'm completely with Anthony on this one. I have seen many a person come on here about normal childhood bullying and claim to have PTSD. It just does not fit the criteria. If you do have PTSD from actual abnormal trauma, and you have also been bullied, you will have to deal with the bullying just like the trauma. Once you open Pandora's box.....

One thing I have learned is that PTSD is the popular thing to have. It's completely nuts but I get the whole "oh you have PTSD, well so do I!" all the time. Out of every 10 people I tell that I have PTSD, at a minimum, six claim to also have it. I have no idea what the draw is but one thing I do know is that they neither have PTSD or have the slightest clue what it is. If they did, they wouldn't want it.

Unfortunately, PTSD is the "in" thing right now. Give it ten years and something else will come along as the more "in" thing to have and only those with actual PTSD will still be around.

bec

 

[Jestadud]

becvan, I have the utmost regard for you and think of you as a colosuss on this site so much of what I've found helpful has a link to you that I'm almost in awe of you.
But there's something wrong with what you have written here.
I know there is because of my reaction to it and I know what my reaction is because I've just read your post on flashbacks and followed the link you left.

Maybe it's because one of my core beliefs is "YOU MUST STAND UP TO BULLIES"
Maybe because of that I react when I see others being put down.
What harm if someone comes here who (maybe) hasn't got ptsd. It doesn't diminish anyone suffering the problem and just makes me feel a bit sad for them being desperate enough to want our company.

But I think there is something wrong in the way the word "BULLYING" is being used. This might not be the dictionary definition but a dictionary doesn't have emotions or feelings, bullying means something not nice happening the scale of that not nice is going to vary person to person.

Jesta

 

[becvan]

No where in my post have I said I agree with bullying or that anyone should just accept it. I have long been a person that fights that type of behaviour and have not only experienced it myself but am also dealing with my son being bullied to the point that he had to miss school. So please do not put words in my mouth nor jump to conclusions on what I think or feel.

What I am pointing out is that the average case of bullying is not cause for PTSD. That is just simple fact. When bullying becomes violent, it is no longer bullying.

I realize that this is a very emotional subject for many who have experienced bullying and have not dealt with it as of yet, however that does not mean that someone who has been bullied automatically has PTSD. It is an exception, not the rule.

As for the harm in someone coming here, it isn't good. I am unsure if I would use the would harm though. If someone is coming here seeking help for PTSD and they don't have PTSD then that is not good. Just think of all the people here who were misdiagnosed and spent how many years wasting their time trying to fix what they didn't have? Would you wish that on another person? If someone has a serious case of depression but not PTSD, then pussyfooting around and saying nothing is just wasting their time and causing further harm to that person. As far as I'm concerned, it is a responsibility to point out that they might not have PTSD and to see a doctor to be correctly diagnosed. And sadly there ARE people who are claiming to have PTSD just for the attention. That is just reality.

bec

( and thank you for the compliment! You just made me smile for the day! )

 

[anthony]

Dean (Tardis) has put some excellent information upon here about bullying... very insightful reading where he has posted about it. As I stated in my initial post, yes you can get PTSD from bullying, however; 99% of cases that are actually clinically diagnosed by an authorised physician, not just your therapist saying you have it (which is not a clinical diagnosis), are more because of the abnormal trauma associated within the bullying term. 99% of bullied persons who have been clinically diagnosed are more common diagnosed due to the bullying now moving to assault, rape, torture, more physical and hands on stuff that is abnormally traumatic to any person. It is not classified as clinically "normal" to endure such things within one's life, thus fitting the scale for PTSD to be reviewed as a diagnosis.

PTSD really is becoming an intrend type event, which in my eyes is very dangerous. Not only that, you now have people coming here with the belief they have complex PTSD due to their trauma, which happened only over a year or two period. That time frame alone doesn't even fit the diagnostic criteria for assessment of complex PTSD. Whether it be younger therapists, younger persons within the field that are making such assumptions to their patients... I do not know. I feel it is maybe a small part of the problem... though I believe the majority of the issue is world information and how easy things are to get nowadays. If a person has some anxiety and depression, which is quite normal, people just tell them they have PTSD. No longer are they told they have anxiety or depression, but instead somehow because PTSD is the worlds latest craze word in the mental health field... that is the first thing thrown at people now. People here that, believe it without further results, then run off thinking they have the latest trend. People self diagnose... big bad issues with that. There have been members here who thought they had it... got assessment and found they hadn't. Why put yourself through such a thing in the first place IMO?

To much information can be just as dangerous as not enough information... Just my opinion though.

 

[cragger65]

I have been diagnosed with PTSD proper (not complex) but I'm confused as to what complex PTSD is exactly. My condition is the result of a car accident at 11 and exposure to a violent environment growing up, combined with an extreme car accident at 35. As for the harassment I endured AFTER the fact by insurance, I really cannot over-state the damages that living in constant fear inflicted after the onset of full-blown PTSD.

How much damage is done by bullying has a lot to do with the person's already existing mental state and personal resources/make-up, I would think. If the person has a pre-dispositon, a lower tolerance... maybe.

 

[anthony]

Mate, complex PTSD is given to those who's trauma begins at birth / childhood typically. It is a categorisation of PTSD where the person really has no basis for "what is normal" as viewed within society, instead they know and understand only the abusive reality. Abuse to them is normal life, basically put. Anything outside of that is unknown and could even be seen by them as traumatic. Wrap your head around that one!!!

It is much harder to help someone with complex PTSD unless they are totally willing and able to allow a trusted person to help them, by trusting what that person is telling them of normal vs. not normal behaviours, actions, etc within society. They really have to relearn life skills if you like, because all they understand is what they have learnt from a lifetime of abuse. A few years of abuse as a child is not enough... because it really is about the extent of the abuse and when it began, ie. early childhood. At those young ages a child has no chance to develop into an adult with any other perception or choice than what they are forced.

 

[veritas]

I guess I don't really understand what difference it makes in the grand scheme of things. Generally speaking, you can remind people that a PTSD diagnosis needs to be made by a medical doctor, that it is a very complex disorder, etc. but as far as what you encounter online, does the actual diagnosis make a difference? On a support board, people are here to share experiences with others, relate to one another, commiserate, learn new ways of coping, etc. Think of a member here who you find you are able to relate to a lot. Would you suddenly negate those experiences if you were to find out that they haven't actually had a clinical diagnosis?

I'm just throwing these ideas out there. On the internet, I take everything at face value simply by virtue of the fact that this is the internet. If someone says they have PTSD, then so be it. If it turns out they're mistaken, it is just the same. It has no effect on my recovery. If I come here to, say, read how others cope with flashbacks or chronic fatigue, someone's lack of an official diagnosis doesn't suddenly invalidate advice I find useful.

As far as bullying -- I do not consider bullying (that is, what is commonly interpreted as bullying) extreme enough to warrant PTSD. As someone else mentioned, bullying is surely enough to cause secondary wounding after initial trauma. I was "bullied" by teachers, school officials, and classmates for two consecutive years in my childhood. This was after my main trauma had occured, and during the time it continued to occur. Being shunned by teachers I thought were supposed to protect and care about me was enough to validate the views I developed about myself as a result of my main trauma.

Regarding the poster in question, I've not read her post, but given the reluctance many people have to openly discussing their trauma or even using words like "sexual abuse," "rape," etc. I take the post to mean that whatever happened, regardless of what the poster chooses to call it, is enough to warrant the diagnosis she presumably has. This goes back to the taking posts at face value thing.

 

[Jestadud]

Thanks Anthony this is bang in the area thats causing me so much confusion, what I'm trying to "Wrap my head around"!
I'd never heard of complex ptsd until I came on this forum. I confess that I thought it was a hierachy system that existed here. (Maybe it is for some?) My therapist might have refered to ptsd being complex a few times but I took it to mean it's difficult to explain.
Is there more information on this?
Is there a name for what these people live their life with? I have seen someone refer to living with pts before becoming full blown PTSD.
I'm not looking to upgrade, plain old ptsd is enough for me but I would like to understand more.

Jesta

 

[becvan]

Jesta: here is a link for you : [DLMURL]http://www.ptsdforum.org/thread5804.html[/DLMURL] and this one highlights the differences between C-PTSD and PTSD: [DLMURL]http://www.ptsdforum.org/thread783.html[/DLMURL]

I have C-PTSD so if you have any questions ask away. As far as I'm aware there is no hierarchy system. More like those of us with C-PTSD desperately wishing we had the regular PTSD!!:wink:

So.. someone explain to me what C-PTSD has to do with bullying? I seem to be missing how that got put together....:dontknow:

bec