Hi, my name is David and I'm 42 years of age and live in the USA. I was diagnosed with PTSD about a year ago. I manage to hold down a full-time job but I miss time from work frequenetly to to my condition. I am taking medication and am looking for therapy at this present time.
I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder when I was 19 years of age. I suffered panic attacks in my youth (thankfully they became less and less severe over time and now have disappeared). Later, I was diagnosed with recurring major depression. Only a couple years ago I started seeing a new psychiatrist and it was suggested to me that I may have PTSD, and after a few months I started being treated for that. I believe I have had PTSD most of my adult life, based on what I have learned thus far.
I have been to counselors a few times over the years (before my PTSD diagnosis) but it was decided that talking about my problems were not helping me. I didn't know it at the time but talking about things that were upsetting were just triggers for me so for many years now I have stopped counseling alltogether. So, I am a bit skeptical about trying it again, but at least this time I have a proper diagnosis to go by.
My PTSD was not caused by any single event - I experienced a few things in childhood that traumatized me at the time and were never given proper attention. I also lived in a dysfunctional home environment. One doctor has told me I was "emotionally abused". This led to the anxiety and panic attacks by the age of 14. I had depression too but that wasn't diagnosed until much later. In my adult life I have experienced several traumatizing events as well that really sealed my fate, the last one being the death of my girlfriend in 2009, the hell I went through taking care of her before she passed away and the hell that followed after her death.
Since that time I have been "existing" and trying to do well for myself, but the time for real healing has finally come.
I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder when I was 19 years of age. I suffered panic attacks in my youth (thankfully they became less and less severe over time and now have disappeared). Later, I was diagnosed with recurring major depression. Only a couple years ago I started seeing a new psychiatrist and it was suggested to me that I may have PTSD, and after a few months I started being treated for that. I believe I have had PTSD most of my adult life, based on what I have learned thus far.
I have been to counselors a few times over the years (before my PTSD diagnosis) but it was decided that talking about my problems were not helping me. I didn't know it at the time but talking about things that were upsetting were just triggers for me so for many years now I have stopped counseling alltogether. So, I am a bit skeptical about trying it again, but at least this time I have a proper diagnosis to go by.
My PTSD was not caused by any single event - I experienced a few things in childhood that traumatized me at the time and were never given proper attention. I also lived in a dysfunctional home environment. One doctor has told me I was "emotionally abused". This led to the anxiety and panic attacks by the age of 14. I had depression too but that wasn't diagnosed until much later. In my adult life I have experienced several traumatizing events as well that really sealed my fate, the last one being the death of my girlfriend in 2009, the hell I went through taking care of her before she passed away and the hell that followed after her death.
Since that time I have been "existing" and trying to do well for myself, but the time for real healing has finally come.
