Hi. I have never joined a forum before. I found this site last night and I could really use a friend who understands what this is like.
I received my diagnosis in 2007. It is very difficult for me to talk about the incident that lead to my diagnosis. It was a horrible, violent moment in my life that has changed me forever. That being said, since finding out that PTSD is the cause for the awful symptoms I experience, I have done everything in my power to be proactive about it. I've sought and received treatment.
I would just like to give a little bit of background about where I am on this journey with PTSD. My symptoms have run the gamut. My biggest problem areas used to be flashbacks, hypervigilance, and foreshortened future. All of this would have a tendency to cause massive, debilitating panic attacks. I am sure there are many on this forum who can understand the multitude of exhausting symptoms stemming from panic attacks alone. I was on medication for several years, and through hard work, a lot of reading, and deep involvement in my own path to recovery, I eventually came to a point where I was strong enough to wean myself off of it.
My family has been astronomically supportive of me through all of this. I am also so fortunate as to have the most loving and supportive significant other I could ever ask for. In fact, she helped me get up the courage to join this forum in the first place. Which brings me to why I am here.
The reason I would like to join this community is twofold. I feel I can contribute in a meaningful way with coping strategies that have worked for me in the past. I also understand that sometimes the best thing anyone can do for someone struggling with their trauma is to just shut up and listen, and I want to be there for someone in the way so many in my life have been there for me. My other reason for wanting to be a part of this is that I am at a point in my life again where I could really use some help with new coping strategies. Recent events in my life have caused the self-doubt, sense of helplessness, survivor's guilt, and resultant panic attacks to rear their ugly heads once more.
Truthfully, what brought me here was the fact that I have a stress boil the size of a quarter on the back of my neck and despite the fact that my mom told me it was a stress boil and part of my PTSD - I didn't believe her and wanted to look it up for myself. Maybe that's "TMI"... but in any case, reading about how other people go through this awfulness too is a pretty significant comfort in its own right.
It was hard for me to do this and put myself out there. I appreciate everyone on this site despite not knowing any of you, if simply because we are all in this together. Thank you to whoever has taken the time to read this.
I received my diagnosis in 2007. It is very difficult for me to talk about the incident that lead to my diagnosis. It was a horrible, violent moment in my life that has changed me forever. That being said, since finding out that PTSD is the cause for the awful symptoms I experience, I have done everything in my power to be proactive about it. I've sought and received treatment.
I would just like to give a little bit of background about where I am on this journey with PTSD. My symptoms have run the gamut. My biggest problem areas used to be flashbacks, hypervigilance, and foreshortened future. All of this would have a tendency to cause massive, debilitating panic attacks. I am sure there are many on this forum who can understand the multitude of exhausting symptoms stemming from panic attacks alone. I was on medication for several years, and through hard work, a lot of reading, and deep involvement in my own path to recovery, I eventually came to a point where I was strong enough to wean myself off of it.
My family has been astronomically supportive of me through all of this. I am also so fortunate as to have the most loving and supportive significant other I could ever ask for. In fact, she helped me get up the courage to join this forum in the first place. Which brings me to why I am here.
The reason I would like to join this community is twofold. I feel I can contribute in a meaningful way with coping strategies that have worked for me in the past. I also understand that sometimes the best thing anyone can do for someone struggling with their trauma is to just shut up and listen, and I want to be there for someone in the way so many in my life have been there for me. My other reason for wanting to be a part of this is that I am at a point in my life again where I could really use some help with new coping strategies. Recent events in my life have caused the self-doubt, sense of helplessness, survivor's guilt, and resultant panic attacks to rear their ugly heads once more.
Truthfully, what brought me here was the fact that I have a stress boil the size of a quarter on the back of my neck and despite the fact that my mom told me it was a stress boil and part of my PTSD - I didn't believe her and wanted to look it up for myself. Maybe that's "TMI"... but in any case, reading about how other people go through this awfulness too is a pretty significant comfort in its own right.
It was hard for me to do this and put myself out there. I appreciate everyone on this site despite not knowing any of you, if simply because we are all in this together. Thank you to whoever has taken the time to read this.
