Is It Possible To Be a Victim of Violent Trama and NOT have PTSD?

[Tinyflame]

Following a "journalling recommendation", the same question occured to me as to why some of my traumas caused meltdowns whereas others didn't. There was a whole list -and that not even complete- spanning 25 years. And stranger still - some of what I would consider "lesser traumas" relative to the others caused worse effects.

In my case, almost without excepetion, when I told someone about it- not even in a big way -usually without much detail or going into depth- but did not hide it, the grief, pain, long(er)-term problems were definitely ameliorated.
I also didn't carry excess baggage/ guilt the same way.

For the things I hid entirely, I fell apart in some fashion.

 

[missy8888]

OMG!! Don't even think you are weak!!

Yeah, apparently it is. The ones who go through a trauma and don't develop it tend to be up on a pretty high horse though.

I remember being in a group therapy session and it was my turn to talk. You could choose to pass, but after a couple of weeks, I wanted to talk.

I shared my trauma, and many of the details. I will never forget the response I received. One of the other members got up and explained that she too had been raped, that her skull was even fractured in the attack, and that she didn't develop PTSD, so it must be due to a lack of resilience.

I was shocked that she said this, but even more shocked when the others, including the therapist seemed to agree. They said I must have been weaker in some way.

I already struggle with feelings of weakness, for not being physically strong enough to stop what happened, and for developing PTSD, and having all the symptoms I do.

I just don't know why some of us get it, and some don't. It is awful. It was really awful having to sit and listen to a whole group of people tell me it is due to my own weakness that I developed it though.

Sometimes I reject their opinions, and am able to see past what they said, but it is really hard sometimes. Are we really weaker for having developed PTSD after a trauma, or is there some explanation as to why some are unlucky enough to have to deal with it as well, while others seem unaffected by their trauma??

:Hug_emoticon: It kills me to hear you say that.. It isn't your fault. You have no control over what happened to you.

I am not certain, but I am pretty sure that those people are affected somehow...whether or not they admit it or not. Maybe if it isnt PTSD...maybe some issues are manifested through other means such as drinking, drugs, gambeling, promiscuity, insomnia, being overly paranoid, trust issues, or other OCD type behaviors.

I think it is probably unreported. Something has to affect them even if it's in the sub concious. They might not know it is there....but it is lurking beneth the surface, and manifests through other behaviors.

I don't know, but I have been giving it some great thought. What do you guys think????

 

[fin]

I dont know what to think either missy....maybe, and it is just a maybe...well maybe it manifests in making others feel not so good about themselves...
And I want to ask what kind of a group it was if they didnt have PTSD and were more resilient what were they there for?

I have found in some funny way that I have coped with things that were accidental better than things that were done to me deliberately.

And I think part of the hard part for me was trying to understand it in my head. How could people do these things? What is the world around me? How will I know to be able to stop it happening again? and What did I do for this to happen? and What can I change for it not to happen?

And maybe some of this has got me unstuck...because one of my major things is that I dont know what it is that I have done or how I can change myself so that it will never happen again.
Hence me seeking help so desperately...not someone to fix me but help get me there, show me how I can move forward.

~fin