Undiagnosed Found My Stepmom Dead. Do I Have Ptsd??

[digger]

Definitely. Personally I think one month of symptoms after a traumatic event is perfectly normal and far too early to call it a disorder, but was just saying what it is in the DSM, if you're in a country that uses it.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Definitely. Personally I think one month of symptoms after a traumatic event is perfectly normal and far too early to call it a disorder, but was just saying what it is in the DSM, if you're in a country that uses it.

Maybe that's why you'll hear people declare "I'M CURED!" when the stress hadn't actually developed into PTSD? Just a thought, sorry for the tangent! (As in, diagnosed too soon.)

 

[NovemberStar]

Okay, thanks, I did wonder about it when I started the post.

I still think it is important to note that only a certain percentage of people who experience trauma develop the disorder. And for this reason I agree with others who say that a diagnosis is important.

And as I said above - please do not dismiss your experience and your trauma as being 'not that bad' IF you are not diagnosed with PTSD. Not having 'PTSD' does not make your experience any less awful for you; and nor would it mean you don't need or deserve all the support and help you can get to heal from this :hug:

 

[Pencil]

When I wrote my earlier reply I started wondering whether the time span had changed, and wanted to say that it might have, and then the post became fuzzy and messy and I didn't say what i really wanted to say as I was in a hurry, bla blah blah.

What I really want to say is this:

Don't worry about having PTSD or not. It is irrelevant. You went through a really awful experience, and your reactions / symptoms are difficult to deal with and make your life a misery. Being on here helps - a lot. But finding a good therapist is imperative - and if EMDR was indeed used, I doubt that your therapist is good. You need to process and mourn, not try to wipe out what happened.

And if you process your experience, you may not sit with a disorder later. And that does NOT minimize what happened. I'm not saying that people who go through terrible things 'qualify' for PTSD, and those whose experiences were 'less' fail to make the grade - and will not. Some people go through horrendous things and don't develop a disorder, others go through - objectively seen - minor things and go bananas. There are many factors that distinguish those that do develop a disorder from those who don't, and SUPPORT plays a very important role. And you will get support here - members understand what you are going through.

I'm sorry you're not getting the support you need from your parents. They are dealing with their own things. I think it is great that you are reaching out.

 

[intothelight]

Hi Sannetia,

Welcome to MyPTSD forum! :)

No one here can diagnose what you are experiencing, but you should talk to your psychologist and have them explain what they have diagnosed and what their treatment plan is. Don't do anything you are not comfortable with until your questions have been answered and you feel like you have a good understanding of both.

From what you wrote it sound like your father is consumed by his own grief right now and not in a position to offer any support. Is your mother able to give you the support you need? Does the hospital you are/were at have a patient advocate or a social worker that you can seek assistance from? If you are still in school, there may be someone there that help direct you to support services that are available in your area.

Seeing someone die is traumatic and you did a really good thing by seeking help. Continue to seek the help that you need for yourself, but don't feel that you have to rush into anything until you are comfortable with it.

Debbie

 

[joeylittle]

Hi @Sannetia, and welcome to the forum. I deleted your recent post in "Discussions" because it duplicated the content and question you have here, in your Introduction post. There's no need to post the same question across forums.

As others have said, none of us here can diagnose you. Have you been able to go back and get a diagnosis (of any kind) from someone in the psychology/psychiatry field?