Do People Fake PTSD?

[emmat]

He choose a very poor and offensive example. If you think that's fine then go ahead. I think people need to stop conflating rape accusations with lying.

I am not just making assumptions based on my experience, I volunteer on a rape-crisis help line and I hear this from women daily. As a result I feel that it is only right to challenge it when people casually talk about it. I understand other people think differently to me, but I also don't think that means that I loose the right to tell someone when they have said something I find offensive.

 

[cherryblossom]

As far as I can tell, Jimmy, was using an example from his own personal experience. He wasn't generalising, in any way. I have PTSD from rape. I wasn't offended by what Jimmy wrote. I am aware that some people may lie about rape, PTSD, whatever. I also understand that being believed and validated is a massive part of healing for all victims of trauma. I don't see his example as poor or offensive.

 

[becvan]

You have offended me, and every other person that has been raped then had to listen to some one trot out the lines 'Are you sure it was rape?' or 'Are you just saying this to get back at him?'.

I am also a rape victim and I have definitely heard those stupid lines, however, please don't speak for me. I have also been in a situation where charges were laid and the rape was completely made up. It's common unfortunately. As far as I'm concerned the only way that rapes will start being taken seriously is when BOTH sides are honest about the situation. Yes rape does happen, no it is not the victims fault, yes it is illegal, and yes some people do lie about it.

As for the subject, I personally know people that fake PTSD and one of them just got disability for it. It's disgusting and makes it all the harder for me to get help. These people are vile.

bec

 

[anthony]

I actually disagree that someone should not say something because it could offend. The very morals and intent of this forum is to exactly not allow such blatant nonsense, and instead allow people to voice their issues in their words surrounding trauma. If any member is offended by something another here says, there are two options, being; #1 don't respond, #2 voice your opinion in a non-defending manner. Opinions are not right or wrong, they are not offensive or inoffensive, because they are opinions. What offends one may not offend another, but will another. How do you choose what to say and what not to say?

Emmat... sorry to say, but I think your wrong in this instance for the values of what this forum promotes, being to express your opinion and not dismiss another's opinion because you don't agree with it or it offends you. IMHO... you are basically telling Jimmy to not express his thoughts or feelings because it offended you, yet didn't offend me or many others, though may of offended others who simply chose to say nothing and let him express himself, being option #1.

I don't personally like a lot of things people say here, but I also don't have a right to tell them not to say it because I personally disagree with it.

 

[bluecat]

Hi Emmat,

I know where you're coming from emotionally. There were times when I was recovering from my own experiences with sex abuse when I was thinking exactly what you wrote earlier. I was angry and hurt and unfortunately had no proof. Obviously the person involved said it didn't happen and that I was lying. I did have proof for other things, so I did get some measure of justice, but to be accused of lying about something so humiliating, and something that I considered so wrong and that was so hard to talk about, that burned like fire. So for a while, I thought exactly what you wrote.

Later, when I made more peace with what happened, I could think more clearly about the other side of the spectrum. I was so upset for being accused (not by the court, just my abuser) of lying. I can imagine that when a person is accused of rape they didn't commit, that must be excrutiating too. It comes with a social stigma as well and real life consequences as well, especially given the lenght of most investigations. Men have been released from prison based on DNA evidence after serving years for a rape comitted by someone else. Especially black men. Not only they lost their freedom, but often lost their families and careers.

I still think that women are more vulnerable to sexual assault than men, they are more often subjected to it and in the majority of cases they never get justice. But I can also appreciate that men are more vulnerable to being accused of rape and that they probably worry about that. I also wonder if there are situations where the man really believes that it was consensual while the woman or another man feels sexually violated, types of situations where its more a matter of arrogance and ignorance than true intent to harm. I don't have much sympathy, but can see how men would feel defensive if they truly perceived the situation differently. Of course, feeling defensice would then be the exact wrong reaction, which would not allow the person who violated someone without intent to empathize with them and apologize.

I think thats the point that Anthony was making about defensiveness - it doesn't allow you to empathize.

I very much relate to what you're feeling. I am angry too that women are so vulnerable to sexual abuse. Whole industries are based on the exploitation of women (and sometimes men and children too, but primarily women). The stats you're quoting about rape frequency

 

[anthony]

I still think that women are more vulnerable to sexual assault than men, they are more often subjected to it and in the majority of cases they never get justice.

I think you could categorically state this as fact IMO. Last time I looked at rape / sexual abuse statistics, it was around 10% of males who get raped / sexually abused... so 90% are female.

 

[bluecat]

I took too long to edit, this is the rest of the post:

Whole industries are based on the exploitation of women (and sometimes men and children too) and it could not happen if there weren't enough normal nice male customers to feed that and this kind of ignorance needs to change. But in talking about these issues, every side of the story has to be heard and one wrong can't be dismissed because of the pain of another wrong.

So to sum it up, I know where you're coming from, but you could appreciate where Jimmy is coming from, because what he said wasn't aimed at rape victims, but stemmed from his own vulnerabilities.

Jimmy et al could also appreciate where you are coming from and not get so defensive in return.

Because thats the problem with defensiveness - it doesn't allow you to empathise.

 

[bluecat]

I think you could categorically state this as fact IMO. Last time I looked at rape / sexual abuse statistics, it was around 10% of males who get raped / sexually abused... so 90% are female.

Oh boy. My laptop is overreactive and I somehow posted without finishing and when I tried to finish in edit time I timed out. So that wasn't the actual message. I think I just made this whole conversation even worse adding one more misunderstanding.

 

[Nicolette]

Hmmm.....isn't this thread about people faking PTSD? It seems to have taken a very strong tangent towards being about rape. I think if people want to discuss rape more in depth then it should have it's own thread separate from this one.

 

[anni]

I only came back when I saw this thread in the 'new' list to see if any nonsense might be here, and use forum appropriate swearing if it were. By nonsense I mean that stat which still burns me up, about this thread getting so many hits by PTSD fakers out there. For those fakers, read all you wish. I don't think it will succeed. This stupid thing is far too complicated, manifests too subtly in many, many ways for anyone but perhaps a true sociopath to mimic. Pretty sure they MIGHT have some succes because their whole identity is reading and exploiting others. Still, you'd have to KNOW one of us, which is unliklely since we've already been bitten and recognize the creepy personas.

I've just thought about this now, and don't think an attempted subterfuge would work. It's not some exclusive club, it's an intrusive, pervasive neurological disruption with a plethora of manifestations, none of them a big plus for living well in society or even out of it. Even a half-baked psych professional, I think, would yank some faker pants down in a big hurry.

 

[anthony]

Oh boy. My laptop is overreactive and I somehow posted without finishing and when I tried to finish in edit time I timed out. So that wasn't the actual message. I think I just made this whole conversation even worse adding one more misunderstanding.

Bluecat, my comment is supporting your statement, not going against it.

 

[Nishkaa]

I'm glad to read the news about the brain imaging technology, the MEG showing problems with the hypocampus. I would gladly submit to that testing if it could help hasten my access to treatment.

I don't personally care anymore about other people's judgments, whether what I have is real, I've developed a tougher skin to that. It's fact out there, people's ignorance, lack of compassion-- this kind of thing recurs, all the time. To hell with that, 'go ahead and make my day' :). I know what I experience is real; I know the struggle with it, is real. And I know I'm determined to kick this damn illness in the @ss.

I'm probably not believed-- like how could that be possible, you must be lying. I don't give a crap. It's ultimately my struggle, one for which I have to see through.

I'm stubborn. I hang on to life. If I have to use my anger and bitterness to do so, I'll use that too.

Sometimes, the judgments hurt when I'm feeling vulnerable, but I also know I have to take care of that too myself: use my coping, use my self-care, use my anger. And I wouldn't willingly add salt to another persons wounds either.