Sufferer Hi I Am New - Coming To Terms With My Ptsd

[munkinmama]

I have had PTSD, for a while but was not diagnosed until 5 years ago. I also have depression and anxiety. I was not aware I had PTSD just thought I was very anxious and not coping well. I used to think only veterans got PTSD but I now know this is false. My PTSD was a result of abuse I suffered most my life and being raped at school when i was 17. I have come to terms with what happened but I have a long way to go. I just got a dog that I am training to be my service dog and she has been such a huge blessing. I am so blessed to have her since having her I feel more confident being in public and when i do have panic attacks it is a comfort knowing she is there.

 

[intothelight]

@munkinmama Welcome to the forum! :)

There is a lot of misunderstanding about PTSD and getting the diagnosis can be a bit of a shock. Increasing your own understanding will help as you work on your own healing and having the support of a community of people that understand is invaluable.

Service dogs are great and I hope that your training goes well.

 

[FindingMyself88]

Hi @munkinmama and welcome to the forum!! :)

I can really relate to your post. I was diagnosed this past September, though I've had the symptoms a lot longer. Mine too is from abuse growing up (physical, sexual, and emotional) as well I was raped this past November, which has worsened my PTSD. I think you will find plenty of support and understanding on this forum, I know I have!

Congrats on the dog :) Is that a picture of her in your profile pic? I too just got a dog a little over a month ago, she is in my picture! She is a 21 month old Boxer and Lab mix. Yes, they are such a tremendous help, I don't think I could be going back to school this Fall without her! If you ever want to chat about the ups and downs of training, I am here! There are several others with SDs that they have trained as well.

Wish you the best on this journey, and welcome to a community that understands! :hug:

 

[munkinmama]

Yes the picture is of my service dog.Her name is Jellybean. She is a 4 month Kuvasz/ Maremma sheepdog/ Australian Shepard mix. In the 2 months I have had she has helped me so much I am so glad to be on this journey with her. Lol she has a few anxieties herself so I help her and she helps me

 

[FindingMyself88]

She is a cutie! Bristol is the name of my SDiT. She has amazed me with how well she is doing, I forget she has had no prior training. Like yesterday we were in Wal-mart and I decided to try pushing the buggy for my mom. You would've never guessed we hadn't done it before! She took it all in stride. Our biggest issue is when she sees other dogs, she gets completely distracted and if someone comes up to pet her, she gets very excited.

Good luck with her training! She is young, so maybe she will grow out of her anxieties. I have found training Bristol gives me something to focus on, which helps with my anxiety of going places. Probably the same for you :)

 

[munkinmama]

With Jellybean being young I was expecting a few anxieties but like me she works through them with my help. Sh now will board a bus, go in an elevator, board the subway though not crazy about the train approaching. Yesterday we went to the airport to get her used to it as I have a trip in Nov and she did amazing. I am finding with her age everything means play time and are playthings.

She is good with other dogs but can be excited and younger kids she reacts to and can scare them when she tries to play they think she is trying to attack them. Well I do not blame them she gets jumpy and get nippy in a playful way so working with her on this. Since my kids are teenagers going to borrow a friend kid to help her with this.

Oh yes totally the same for me and I feel when people ask about her and what type of service dog she is that the focus is off of me. I often feel people know and they are judging me[DOUBLEPOST=1403881903,1403881604][/DOUBLEPOST]Oh yea I have adopted something veterans who have a service dog call them. Now I am not a veteran but I think it applies to anyone with PTSD and has a service dog. These dogs are our battle buddies they are there no matter what in our battle with PTSD

 

[FindingMyself88]

That is awesome that she does all of that already! I myself need to take Bristol to an airport because eventually I will be flying out to see my Aunt in North Carolina. The only thing I have found that she is afraid of is escalators! She does fine on Elevators, but won't go near the escalator. Which is honestly fine by me. I get middy anxious on them, plus I have heard that some Service Dogs have gotten their toes caught on them!

When people ask what type, I simply say a Medical Alert Dog. She does naturally alert me to my panic attacks, flashbacks, and dissociative spells. I also say she is a balance assistance dog. She isn't big enough to keep me from falling, however when I get short vertigo spells, she leans into my legs and it helps to center/balance me.