• 💖 [Donate To Keep MyPTSD Online] 💖 Every contribution, no matter how small, fuels our mission and helps us continue to provide peer-to-peer services. Your generosity keeps us independent and available freely to the world. MyPTSD closes if we can't reach our annual goal.

Sufferer got diagnosed wth ptsd... what now?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Dartaniam345

New Here
hi everyone.

it feels kinda awkward to write in a forum, never thought i'd do that. Nonetheless hi to everyone !

I now know that i have ptsd, got the report just two days ago. at first it felt like a charm "i finally know what's wrong with me!" i said. but the eveything sinked in...

Can't no onger apply for a job in the police force or other jobs that requires absolute vigilance, and keep thinking about what i caused around me due to the symptoms ( mainly avoidance, suicidal thoughts general awkardness), how i end up being a hassle to people due to those. how i can't even look straoght into my sisters eyes even.

This diagnosis ended up making me more nervous and anxious about me, feels like there ain't much to do other than taking meds. Yet i ask, what now?

In short i'm wondering how did you guys react to the diagnosis, how you keep up with all of this, what you did after it arrived?

Thanks for reading so far, best regards.
 
There are a million jobs you can apply for though. I went through many rough years after I was diagnosed. I had a breakdown, and 9 years later I'm still not working. Therapy was the key for me. I went through 5 years of therapy to get as functional as I am. I joined PTSD support groups, got workbooks from Amazon, came here and practiced the advice others gave. It is a LOT of work saving yourself from mental illness. It's a lot more than meds.

If you have a diagnosis, I'm assuming that you have a therapist. Is this true? The therapist can teach you grounding techniques and ways to control your symptoms that will help you have a fulfilling life. My life is not the life I chose, but it was the life I dreamed of as a child. You can still have a good life!
 
Getting a ptsd diagnosis isn't the end of your life. There's so much to do in life and lots of love and fun to be had. Meds can alleviate and help and a good therapist is key. Learning how to manage your symptoms is really important. Good luck!🙂
 
Having a ptsd diagnosis isn't the end of the world like Survivor3 and DharmaGirl said. I was diagnosed over a decade ago, I have struggled don't get me wrong and have had periods of unemployment but with therapy, medications, coping skills and a very small IRL support group and this great group I am an employed functioning working adult. That said, it takes a lot of hard work I won't lie but don't get caught up in what you can't do now, look forward to what is still possible. Everyone has the ability to contribute some big some small but every contribution matters and don't ever sell yourself short. (Now if I could just take my own advice 😔)
 
After I got diagnosed, I completely ignored it and did almost nothing differently for about 10 years or so. I don't recommend this because PTSD will end up making your life a living hell if you don't try to treat it. Joining this forum was a terrific first step for you. If I were you I'd start looking for a trauma-informed therapist and also a trauma-informed psychiatrist. Things will go much better the more you're able to talk about your situation.
 
Can't no onger apply for a job in the police force or other jobs that requires absolute vigilance
To reframe: now you know not to apply for jobs that, due to a health condition, aren't right for you.

Before diagnosis, you could have applied. But succeeded with your health situation? Not so much.

The only thing the diagnosis changes? Is you no, in advance, what is going to work well for your health, and what definitely won't.

The diagnosis itself is nothing more, or less, than information about a situation that you were already living with.

You now have more information. It's shit information. Information you definitely didn't want. But you were already living with this condition before your diagnosis.

Anxiety and grief make total sense right now. Be gentle with yourself while those emotions wash over.
Yet i ask, what now?
Treatment. Therapy. You have a condition that, with trauma-informed treatment, can go into complete remission. You can do this. You were surviving with this condition before. Now you get to learn how to manage it really well, and ultimately thrive again.
 
After I got diagnosed, I completely ignored it and did almost nothing differently for about 10 years or so
Ditto, except it was more like 15.

5-7 years wild as f*ck. 10 virtually asymptomatic.

Can't no onger apply for a job in the police force or other jobs that requires absolute vigilance,
I was offered a sworn position. I didn’t take it, although my therapist -who works mostly with first response & disaster response (which was my gig)- wanted me to, and there are a lot of days I regret that, and a lot of days I don’t. It really depends on the dept. and whether or not you can pass a psych exam even with issues on board. Some can. Some can’t. There are a LOT of allied fields, however… most of which you have to provide your own education and training for, (instead of just showing up green and having them provide it all) which is a downside in some regards, but an upside if you’re also just learning how to manage yourself. As you can pace classes and certifications to suit the needs of your life.

Yet i ask, what now?
This below, is the most useful thing I’ve ever come across
 
I was diagnosed about 30 yrs ago. Like you I was elated that my life finally made sense.

This was really before civilians like me were even being considered to have PTSD. So, yes the first years were hard because there were no resources like there is now.

Everyone has shared that finding a trauma therapist or just a regular one if none are available, and get busy.

None of us are going to lie to you. This is hard work. But the payoffs with that hard work are worth it.

Joining here was a great first step. I encourage you to read different threads that might resonate with you. Anxiety,depression, and anything else you are interested in. Because when I first got here finding out I was not alone took a lot fear away.

Glad you are here.
 
If you have a diagnosis, I'm assuming that you have a therapist. Is this true?
Yes I do have a therapist sort of two actually. I was lucky enough to get into a free psychological therapy program some years ago. Started for suspect manic depression if I remember and then ended up with PTSD .
They've both been really helping with processing the whys of this and trying to find ways to mitigate it. It's still a bit early to do anything specific about it since the diagnosis got officiliazed last week.
To reframe: now you know not to apply for jobs that, due to a health condition, aren't right for you.

Before diagnosis, you could have applied. But succeeded with your health situation? Not so much.

The only thing the diagnosis changes? Is you no, in advance, what is going to work well for your health, and what definitely won't.
I think I needed such a rephrasing. I'm still not over the grudge but I'm ending up looking at it this way.
I'm still trying to get into the red cross tho since I ultimately want to be there to help others even tho my therapist said it may be quite stressful. I'll still do my best.
As Friday said, there are positions I can apply for whom I have to provide my own training and education.

Thanks for all the messages everyone, I hope that my permanence in this forum will be long lasting :)
Best regards .
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top