Disorientation And Ptsd.... Please Help

[NYCBri123]

A family member has been dealing with PTSD for many years. Recently she started not knowing where she is. Someone is with her every morning when she wakes up to let her know where she is and every night.
She says that her house "Just doesn't look right" that it isn't her home and that she wants to go home. Therapy does not seem to be helping and we are really at a loss of what to do. After years of nightmares, a blood pressure medication seems to help. Does anyone have any suggestions of resources for my family and her? Thank you so much for the suggestions I have read on here. Especially the GPS idea. She started that today. Is there a cure for this or is it something she will have to learn to live with?

 

[anthony]

There is no cure for PTSD, however; that should not be confused with healing trauma and managing symptoms, both of which can be achieved with a lot of hard self work.

Not knowing where she is, as you depicted, does not sound like PTSD though. Whilst memory issues are normal for those with PTSD, they aren't to that level. That is alzheimer's type issue. Not saying that is what it is, but you need medical intervention and testing to ascertain the specific issue, because that level of forgetfulness is not normal for PTSD and trauma with the specifics you've given.

As for your family, there is online support for you via places like this, there is counselling you can undertake to help deal with the sufferer, possible group support in your area.

 

[Friday]

If I'm reading right, this happened not long after starting new meds?

I'd look right there, to begin with. Whenever any new symptom coincides within a few months of a new medication, determining if it's actually a new symptom or "just" a side effect is usually a good idea.

The brain is a complex organ. As evidenced by a blood pressure med easing nightmares. Not that it shouldn't. It undoubtedly does. But regardless of what a medication is for there can be some unexpected side effects. Or even "that makes sense" ones. To grossly oversimplify: Whatever is making the nightmares seem less real, may also be making reality seem less real. Or there may be no relation between her disorientation and her medication at all. Regardless, this would warrant a trip to the doctor or three to investigate, if it were me.

 

[Justmehere]

I would call the doc prescribing any meds and let them know what's going on. I would also try to arrange a full medical and neurological work up, as well as a full eval by a good psychiatrist, (I.e. not just a primary care doc) as soon as feasible. If she already has a psychiatrist, I would get a second opinion.

What you describe sounds different than dissociation that comes with PTSD. If her therapist is saying it's dissociation, I'd still get a full medical and neurological work up anyhow, and seek out another therapist for a second opinion, just to be sure.

I would also make sure her therapist is a good trauma therapist, not a general jack-of-all-trades therapist.

For the PTSD, there are specialized inpatient trauma treatment programs in the US that are covered by most insurances. I did one when outpatient therapy no longer worked and it helped immensely. Now outpatient therapy is effective again.

 

[Chava]

It partly sounds like pretty severe derealization, but I agree with calling the doctor because that intensity sounds possibly med related or other neurological issue, as others have mentioned. I relate to feeling disoriented and short episodes of derealization (very fleeting), but her wanting to go "home" and completely out-of-touch does not sound like typical derealization. In any case, take it seriously and bring this to a medical doctor first (then possibly a different therapist).

 

[amy4k]

Dissociation Disorders, including Dissociative Fugues and Dissociative Identity Disorder fall on the same continuum with PTSD. Your family member does need to be seen by a medical doctor to rule out any neurological reasons, but also see a Psychiatrist who can do a full interview regarding her dissociative symptoms.

I am DID and I have had parts that do not recognize my house or family. Parts that are still stuck in trauma-time. In therapy we have worked on increasing co-consciousness so that I have been able to work with these parts and introduce them to my present day reality. Like PTSD, DID has no cure but one can learn to live with it and the symptoms can be reduced significantly.

 

[shimmerz]

I used to get extremely disoriented often. I still have this but to a much lesser degree. For me it is PTSD and not Alzheimer's. That was confirmed medically. At one time, I literally had to tie my feet to the bedposts to keep me from running outside in frigid cold weather during night terrors. For a period of time this happened to me every night. I am co-conscious with these things and realize what I am doing at the time but have no ability to stop myself.

T-doc noted in the form of an explanation that at times during a traumatic event one may have had the feeling of disorientation and that that certain situations may bring up those feelings of disorientation. I no longer have to tie myself down at nighttime. To keep myself safe during the daytime, I keep to very 'known' spaces while I continue to work through this.

If I go somewhere that is not extremely well known to me, my helpers formulate safety precautions and make sure I don't leave their sight. They are angels, and I hear the concern and love that you have for your family member. I am just trying to say that there is hope. I have fought through it and although I have a ways to go, I am through the dangerous part of it.

 

[Tinyflame]

You didn't mention her age, but I would get dementia or Alzheimer disease tested (though it can't be confirmed except upon death). Having ptsd doesn't exempt anyone from these or anything else or vice versa. That is one potential very common symptom however, as is difficulty reading a clock (time), mixing up pronouns (he/she/it), & often paranoia/ accusations (especially for 'lost' items, or even spousal infidelity).

Good to rule it out, if nothing else, along with med or other issues. Even illness/ swelling (flui() on the brain etc can cause some similar symptoms.

 

[Tinyflame]

Somewhere, subtly, what stands out to me, is that disorientation can feel more like "I don't know where I am", or it doesn't "look" familiar (I had that yesterday), versus "this is not my home/ I don't live here/ I am going to go find my home".

 

[shimmerz]

Many of my traumas related to instability or violence in home/homes. So I think it may depend on whether lack of stability or disorientation in a house has been a problem along the way.

 

[Tinyflame]

Yes, in other words stress/ triggers @shimmerz ?

 

[shimmerz]

Yes, @Junebug. For myself it was many moves as an infant/toddler. I do notice as well (today even) that I will suddenly become disoriented outside as well - completely losing my frame of reference - as you noted happened with you yesterday. I used to joke from the age of 20 that I had Alzheimer's. It was an annoyance back then but when the re-kindling occurred 25 years later it was downright dangerous.