Contributing Factors To Ptsd

[Casey_03]

This is my first post in a while that is NOT about my baby. Just got to thinking and reflecting and realized there were some aspects of my childhood that may have primed me for PTSD -- not traumas, but certain personality traits in my family that I suspect may have molded me and made me more susceptible. Specifically, my dad was basically a survivalist. Although we lived in the city, he had an arsenal of weapons in our basement -- all kinds of weapons, not just guns -- and he used to instill this very cynical way of viewing the world in me. Like telling me if someone comes to the door they might want to kill me, so I should be aware of where the crossbows are. Stuff like that. He was always making comments about people generally being bad and out to get me/us. I always thought this was normal but now that I'm an adult I realize it's not. Though it did lead to me being ridiculously hypervigilant from a young age, even before my traumas. For instance, I remember that whenever I'd be out and about walking the streets, if someone was behind me I'd quietly prepare in case they were going to attack. I'd watch their shadow to see if they were getting too close, too fast, and hold a book in my hand to strike them with. Then relax only after they passed. This was definitely not normal. Anyway, this sort of thinking has followed me my whole life and I wonder if it somehow made me more susceptible to PTSD, as in, the foundation for this mentality was already set and then the traumas just reinforced every distorted thought my dad shared with me? Anyone else experience anything like this? The funny thing is, he was always predicting that strangers would target me, but it ended up being the people close to me who caused my traumas.

 

[Xane]

My father was a survalist since I was old enough to hold a weapon he trained me to use it, I kinda figured that played into my current state. And ever since I was a small child he always told me that everyone had an angle, sorry if I rambled it's been days without sleep lol.

 

[anthony]

That is just paranoia... there is no evidence to support that it leads towards PTSD. PTSD requires trauma, paranoia is not trauma, it is just paranoia, however, there are always elements in any PTSD based symptom (paranoia being one) that can lead towards heightening that symptom once PTSD does form from trauma.

Now... here is the issue leading to paranoia that you're specifically talking about. You were raised based on a belief that everything was a threat. Whilst that is paranoia, one could also argue that putting paranoia aside, IF you felt a constant threat to your life, then that is trauma (criterion A) of what you perceive to be of a real nature, not just hypochondria or paranoia, even though the threat did not actually exist, due to a belief system sustaining your thinking based from developmental age.

The same situation causes PTSD in soldiers, who may see nothing overtly traumatic, but get PTSD from being in a hostile zone for a 6 to 12 month period, knowing a threat is around them 24/7, who such people come from civilised society and thus deem such as traumatic.

 

[loner mcdonald]

nothing wrong with being a survivalist. some people do go over board. its important on knowing how to protect your self. we all ways need to watch our back side or 6 what ever you wont to call it.

when my kids where growing up they where taught to shoot hand /rifle/shot guns cross bow,regular bow,throwing hawks and throwing knifes and other primitive weapons. some people do not have the mind set for this type of life style. well meaning parents can over do it with there kids with that life style.

i was on the streets at a very young age,street gangs then biker clubs my whole life it was very important to me my kids know how to take care of them selves. one thing for sure was do not grow up and take after there dad in any way. i did not want my kids to live that type of life. they done very well in life. i was very lucky they went with the right road in life.

while they where growing up they could have any time saying i do not want to know any of this covering your ass. we target shoot and the whole 9 yards so to speak to this very day its part of them.

my kids knew how to fight at a early age. these kids where exposed to a lot of violence ,drugs club brothers being stitched up. these club members some would be covered in blood. it was a very sick life style for kids to grow up around all the naked females at runs and the drugs/booze dealing dope weapons. i was very lucky my kids made the right decision not to live a life of gang member or drugs or booze. growing up they saw there dad shoot 3 times,knife,club wounds plus be for they where born i was shot first time 17 years old year later shot again been cut with razor. been shoot 5 times thru out my life.

we never hurt people just to hurt them they where all ways other clubs or business. i was at a very young age when i saw a man shoot dead in front of me i was 13 years old. now i have been away from all the club bull shit and the whole life style.

i never new what ptsd was until later in life and so many things make since now over the years. yes my kids deal with ptsd but not as bad as me thank god for that. these kids are doing very well in life and the ptsd they have come a long way. i thank god every day i did not wipe my kids minds completely out and they are not part of any sick life style very thank full to god for that and many other thing in life. all my ass is looking for is forgiveness and peace i really dont know if thats possible.

young man if you have any ill feeling towards your dad try to forgive him. its not about him its about you it may make you feel better its how we go about not becoming a victim its a least thats how i look at it. it is so easy for a parent to make mistakes. god bless you all on your recovery. if i have offended any one please forgive me. loner

 

[Sandstone]

Yes, I agree that a childhood that is not abusive in itself can prime you for PTSD, because it doesn't teach a healthy way to respond to fear, emotion and ultimately trauma. Whether it is the parent who denies any emotion at all " Nothing to be scared of in the dark", or who punishes expression of emotion" I'll give you something to cry about", or who teaches an aggressive response" If he scares you, hit him first", each of them doesn't allow the child tt feel what they feel, in the moment.

It is a parent's job to help the child recognise, name and manage all sorts of feelings. Missing that lesson does prime us to be unable to deal with the big T traumas when they come along. In my case, I didn't allow myself to have feelings about them, because that wasn't what we did. Those feelings were around somewhere, but I never connected with them, until they all burst out years later. I can see that for you @Casey_03 learning that the world was a place to be distrusted and isolated from would make it hard to recognise which were the real risks, and probably encourage you not to seek help after a trauma (or at any time) because experiencing a trauma would feel like a failure in all that training. If you felt guilt and shame, you'd be much less able to process the emotions of the trauma and much more inclined to take all the blame on your self.

 

[anthony]

I think anything in childhood to be a predictor in adulthood has to be of a chronic nature. Anything less, would be mostly forgettable and a non-issue in adulthood.

 

[Whyteferret]

The traumas did reeforce rhe belief you were raised is that the world is a hostile place. You obviously felt under threat.
IMO, it can be a factor in PTSD later in life after trauma(s)

 

[Changing4Best]

Although my traumas occurred from a young age until I was about 6, I was never taught about the dangers of violence by my parents. It had been a grandfather that harmed me, but it was repressed by me and I did not recall it until I was in my mid-30s. Anyway, since I grew up out in the country, threats of violence were not common, so I was not taught any kind of self-defense nor any use of weapons.

However, when I moved to New York City to stay with my aunt and uncle, my aunt had just recently been mugged, and so self preservation and watching shadows and listening to footsteps behind me became a way of life. Still, no self defense was ever taught to me, except maybe the advice to run if I had to get away from anything that seemed potentially violent or dangerous.

Strangely enough, I was once mugged while at college in Brooklyn, and to this day I don't know what the weapon was. The mugger demanded my purse and was holding something in her hand and shaking it and saying "Don't make me use this." I looked her straight in the eye, NEVER taking my eyes off her eyes, and I said that I only had $4.10 in my wallet, had just lost my job and figured I needed my money more than she did. I then just stared her down. She finally got disgusted and walked away. We were alone together, and she could have attacked me, but she didn't. I guess she believed me (and I had told her the truth too, I was not lying).

I later saw her walking off hand-in-hand with one of the campus guards, so I reported it to the campus president and never did see that guard again. I never bothered reporting it to the Police, because nothing happened really.

Once I graduated from college, I moved to another state as soon as I could. I did not like the city except for the museums. I loved visiting them. College had been good too, of course.