Sufferer Gp Thinks I Have Ptsd. Hi, I Am New:-)

[Jingyd]

Hi,

I came across this site after researching PTSD.

I was attacked by my brother last year, and watched my Nan die, both events happened within months of eachother and my GP thinks I have PTSD.

Long story short, I am 33, married with 3 beautiful children. I have always suffered anxiety but nothing too bad. Last year my violent brother had Social Services at his house questioning him about hurting his son, my brother made my life hell accusing me of calling them, which I didn't. He was abusing his son but I kept out of it as the year before he had come to my house, attacked my husband and swore at our son, all because he had found out we knew he was abusing his child. He is a very violent, ill person and I steer away from him all I can. Basically last September he tried to run me off the road in his car, beeping his horn at me constantly, I was scared so I drove to the police station and ran in frightened, I knew what he was capable of, he followed me in and came up behind me then cornering me, raising his fist to me, shouting and swearing at me, with the most scariest face..... I have never felt so scared. The police arrested him and took him to a cell. I was taken to safety for a few hours.

I thought I was ok, but my family took his side (my mum and sisters) saying he is 'ill' and paranoid and can't help what he does and put pressure on me to forgive him but because I wouldn't they cut me off, I had forgiven him too many times and he had caused my 10 year old son to suffer anxiety after seeing him hit his Dad.

About a month later I started having panic attacks when in shops, slowly my world closed in on me and I am not agoraphobic. I can't go out, can't take my children anywhere because of my panic when I do go out. I am very easily startled, I can't watch any violence on tv, I feel on edge and anxious 24/7, tense and I have had intrusive thoughts. All of this is just awful for me as I am the most calm, loving person, I was so happy with my simple life.

My GP said that I have PTSD and agoraphobia. He said I need to have therapy so I have started private counselling, and he has prescribed me Mirtazapine but I am too scared to take it after having a nasty reaction to an SSRI and Dosulepin, a trycyclic. I know though that I need something to relax. I don't think I'm depressed but I must be living like this, I feel like a prisoner in my own home.

My brother has asked twice in the last 6-7 months to meet with him to talk and apologise but I won't entertain it, I don't want him near me or my family. If I hear his name I feel sick and panic inside. I won't ever let him near us.

I lost my Nan in July last year, I watched her die in hospital and I adored her, I still can't believe she has gone.

Does this all sound like PTSD? can it cause agoraphobia?

Look forward to chatting to you all.

 

[KP the nut]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

[Jingyd]

Thank you. I wasn't sure where to post my story for advice, I hope this was the right place.

 

[intothelight]

Hi Jingyd,

Welcome to the PTSD Forum! :)

In my opinion you are making the right decision to stay away from your brother and your family is wrong for using emotional blackmail. He may be mentally ill, but he needs to get treatment and manage it just like anyone else. My advise would be to stay away until he does and let your family know that you are not willing to endanger yourself or your family.

Getting a definitive diagnosis would be a good idea as that is the first step in formulating a treatment plan. Personally, I don't think a GP is the best doctor to manage treatment, but they are great for spotting trouble and a good source for a referral.

I hope you find the information and support here helpful.

Take care.

Debbie

 

[Venusian]

Hi Jingyd,

I am sorry for what you are going through and I echo what Intothelight says, that you are doing the right thing about staying away from your brother and keeping your family safe.

I am on Mirtazapine prescribed by a psychiatrist. I had bad reactions to SSRI's but my doctor and pharmacist both say that Mirtazapine is in a different classification. I actually only take a half dose because it complicates anothe physical condition that I have and the half dose allows me to sleep and I can still cope with the complications. If you are hesitant to take it, try talking to your doctor and the pharmacist and work out a plan to monitor your reactions to it. For me, it is the first time I could sleep for more than 4 hours in many years and that alone has helped me with the anxiety even if the medicine dosage is too little to make much difference with that.

Take care,
V

 

[Jingyd]

Thank you both.

Sorry I should have said that my GP did refer me to the Mental health team, they assessed me and said I had PTSD, anxiety and agoraphobia. I just can't understand why I would have PTSD if he didn't hit me? although he obviously has scared me. I have never felt the way I do now.

I just wish I could be braver and just take the medication to help myself feel better.

 

[madmax]

Jingyd,

You do not have to be hit physically and agoraphobia is something that manifests itself for me as a intricate complication of PSTD.

We all seem to share " fear" of one type or another.

Writing expressing your issues helps in very small but significant ways....Welcome!

Max

 

[psychology girl]

Firstly hello and welcome to the forum!

In regards to whether PTSD can cause agoraphobia I would answer yes to this in terms of it being co morbid. It's easy to see how PTSD causes depression as depression is quite often a bi product of PTSD as well. I believe it to be the same for agoraphobia. You feel depressed because you went through a traumatic event and due to how your family have sided with your brother and seeing how your son has been affected has only increased these feeling of depression. This is directly related with the event which caused your PTSD.

With the agoraphobia (and I am talking here from my own experiences so this may or may not relate to your situation) each time you go out and experience a 'trigger', that makes you wary of that location and you may find you experience the same emotions that you felt in the police station when your brother went to attack you. You then begin to associate that place with negative emotions and then feel the need to avoid that places as well. Hence why your world may feel like it is getting smaller and smaller. Whether the feelings you experience are simply part of the PTSD or whether they are totally unrelated I do not know. But perhaps this is something you could talk to your therapist about?

Hope this makes sense,

Psychology girl

 

[Jingyd]

Thank you so much.

One thing I keep doing is beating myself up for being like this, hashing agoraphobia and feeling I'm letting my children down. I've been like this for six months.

My agoraphobia hit after the attack but it was a month later before the panic attacks started. It's so sad because I miss shopping, days out, I can't even do the food shopping, I find supermarkets a big trigger:( It's a feeling of I can't escape if I want to and I'd embarrass myself having a panic attack in front of people, scaring my children etc... So shops I can't manage, dentist, doctors... Anywhere I feel trapped:(

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

Welcome. :)