Explaining to People. i.e. Doctors

[shadow-light]

hi.

I'm fairly new to this PTSD thing... well... new to having the "Label" anyway, not that new to the symptoms, just didn't know wt they were before lol (suspected but guess was in denial...)

I was just wndering how people go about describing/explaining some of the symptoms to others? I mean if you say "flashbacks" mos people have a vague understanding, but things like the emotional detachment, the numbness, the fear of nothing, the "falling out of time", etc... I can never seem to find the words to explain them, I'm starting to think that the English language is just too limited... or maybe I just haven't learnt the right terms yet...


I was wondering how others cope with this?

 

[2quilt]

I just say the acronym, and look for the 'deer in the headlights', and if that happens, I say Post traumatic stress disorder, and again look for a light bulb above the listeners head. Then I ask if the listener knows anyone with it, or if they might have it themselves. Then I discuss situational examples like war zones, earthquakes and hurricanes that destroy everything and whole families, rape, bad car wrecks, anything that can be called traumatic, and ask the listener if they can imagine being in that situation and how would they feel? Can they imagine how damaging and life-changing that event would be for a child or a young person with limited life experience? How that event can change the person's outlook on life, response to certain stimuli, etc. Hopefully I can get enough rapport and empathy from the listener that I can get them to acknowledge that PTSD is serious and life-threatening , requiring therapy and maybe medications for depression and anxiety, and support from family and friends who will not dismiss the survivor's feelings.

 

[TLight]

Wow, good answer 2Quilt.

 

[2quilt]

If I get a listener who just says, "well, she should have told him to stop" or some other careless and callous response, I just say, "Well, if you ever live through a trauma, I hope you remember what I have said. You may yourself need the compassion that you can't show now."

 

[blackdove]

Hi there shadow-light. I just don't tell many people because if they get all sympathetic, i have trouble responding in an appropiate emotional way. But, when I do tell someone then i describe it as "there is a Vietnam battle field in my mind". It's something that most people have a bit of a concept of and would have an internal reaction to the effects of: "thank-god it's not me" or "that poor girl" and therefore I don't get the "just get over it" line.

No one has ever said that line to me though. I think it is because most of my co-workers liked and knew me before anxiety started controlling my life. And, I have actually only told one person my full story, the counselor and there is still more to tell i suppose. 5 or 6 others have bits and pieces of information but not the whole story.

Who really wants to know that someone has been in a cult anyway? It's a whole different story being a victim of an event that is out of our control BUT when you willingly (not sure if I was willing yet) join a group and get traumatized for years then you are not really a victim are you? (well, that's what i tell myself about it - is probably a bad way to think about it though).

 

[shadow-light]

Thanks for the replies


The problem is even once I say PTSD (to none-medical professionsal) they still seem to have the "eyes glazed over" look... and then i try to explain and... well.. fial...


As for doctors, well they ask me to describe stuff, and I can't... like I've been "zoning out" alot recently, and I can't think how to explain it other than "zoning out" or "being here, but not being here, like watching the world but not being fully in it despite knowing that I am" and then they look so confused....

 

[WorkingThruIt]

I try to avoid saying that I have PTSD to non-medical people. I just say that I have an anxiety disorder. I don't want to explain what happened and they don't need to know all about my symptoms. I don't see much benefit to sharing and would rather not have one more f*cking person to tell me not to live in the past.

If I am dealing with doctors, I also say that I have an anxiety disorder and explain that it is PTSD if they inquire or it is relevant to the situation. I only tell them about the particular symptoms that they may encounter. The only exceptions to this would be the psychiatrist and counselor.

I think that unless someone has been there or has spent time learning about PTSD, it is damn near impossible for them to understand. If someone does not get it, then are more likely to say something asinine that makes me very angry.