Good morning all,
I stumbled across this forum while looking for a listing of symptoms. I am recently diagnosed, but think I probably suffered from a similar issue for years, but was not allowed to get help. I am emerging from an abusive relationship that dredged up all of the old stuff that wasn't fully healed, and added a few more layers that I have to work through. The most discouraging and upsetting part for me is that so many people, even psychologists just don't seem to understand that coping does not equal being fully functional, and that stress can be debilitating. I am having a hard time functioning this morning, that resulted in me losing my keys, I have no recollection of where I put them down at all. I can also gauge my stress levels by the amount that I stutter. Sometimes I am unable to focus, or feel extremely irritable. The PTSD would have been enough to deal with, but my former spouse has injected more difficulties. I am now struggling financially, overwhelmed with taking care of three children, and still fighting to keep the abuser out of our home.
That said, I am still going, and while I am mostly surviving, sometimes I begin to thrive again. I applied for FMLA at work, and was granted it for six-months, even though my physician specified treatment would take at least a year. My supervisor and my coworkers act like I'm making it all up, or I should just learn to cope better. There is still so much denial around mental illness. Just because I can cope well enough not to act out does not mean I am well, it means I am coping. My treatments are also not as aggressive as I would like because my abusive spouse is extending and continuing every court interaction. I would like to learn how PTSD can affect my life, the consequences of a diagnosis, and how to heal and move on.
I stumbled across this forum while looking for a listing of symptoms. I am recently diagnosed, but think I probably suffered from a similar issue for years, but was not allowed to get help. I am emerging from an abusive relationship that dredged up all of the old stuff that wasn't fully healed, and added a few more layers that I have to work through. The most discouraging and upsetting part for me is that so many people, even psychologists just don't seem to understand that coping does not equal being fully functional, and that stress can be debilitating. I am having a hard time functioning this morning, that resulted in me losing my keys, I have no recollection of where I put them down at all. I can also gauge my stress levels by the amount that I stutter. Sometimes I am unable to focus, or feel extremely irritable. The PTSD would have been enough to deal with, but my former spouse has injected more difficulties. I am now struggling financially, overwhelmed with taking care of three children, and still fighting to keep the abuser out of our home.
That said, I am still going, and while I am mostly surviving, sometimes I begin to thrive again. I applied for FMLA at work, and was granted it for six-months, even though my physician specified treatment would take at least a year. My supervisor and my coworkers act like I'm making it all up, or I should just learn to cope better. There is still so much denial around mental illness. Just because I can cope well enough not to act out does not mean I am well, it means I am coping. My treatments are also not as aggressive as I would like because my abusive spouse is extending and continuing every court interaction. I would like to learn how PTSD can affect my life, the consequences of a diagnosis, and how to heal and move on.
