New - Possible PTSD Sufferer

[hippyman]

Hi, I just joined today, and thought I'd start out by telling ya'll a little about myself. I have never been diagnosed with ptsd, but I hope coming here, I might be able to come closer to finding out if I have it, since I do seem to share alot of the symptoms. Anyway, I thought I would share my story, first of all. In may, 1990, I was in a severe car/train accident that killed my little brother and a family friend, and hospitalized me for 91 days with a severe frontal lobe injury, I was comatose for over a week, and had to learn to do everything over again. Ever since then, I've suffered from depression, and survivors guilt. I've been to therapists since I was 7, when I got called to the office in school one day, b/c some of my friends were worried about me having suicidal thoughts, I just found the right therapist last year. I have never had a serious relationship with a woman in my life, partially due to the survivors guilt, partially to an incident that happened in jr high. Anyway, thats my story, does it sound to anyone else like I might have ptsd? Please reply.

 

[anthony]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

It is easy to make a guess at whether someone does or doesn't have PTSD, but from the basics above... you could, you could not. You need to seek local professional diagnosis from a shrink to ascertain whether you are dealing with PTSD or something else.

 

[clare]

Welcome Hippyman,

Like Anthony said, you may have it, you may not. You've survived a major life threatening trauma. You're aware that emotionally/psycholoically something's not right, you're going to a therapist. I think at this point getting an evaluation for PTSD is important particularly since you've had a brain injury and symptoms may be from one, the other, or both. I hope your therapist can direct you to a psychiatrist because IMO any history of physical brain injury should require an MD's assessment.

Hope you find more help,

clare

 

[hippyman]

Hey Clare, thanx for replying. I have been to psychiatrists in the past, which I think is why I have a bad taste for them now, I never did have much luck with them.

 

[Amy Lou]

Hi and welcome,

Keep looking for the right therapist to talk to. Think of it as interviewing them for the most important job. Give yourself permission to say, "nice meeting you but you don't really specialize in what I need." I know for most of us that is a really hard thing to do. And as far as medical doctors go, they may just see your traumatic brain injury diagnosis and figure that is what is going on and look no further. You deserve to feel better. Believing it is the first step.

Glad you're here,

Amy Lou

 

[clare]

Hi,

Hippyman,

What about a neuro-psychiatrist? I have epilepsy as well as PTSD, so some of my symptoms fall between the diagnoses. I had a great neuro-psych (when I had insurance) and it made a hugh difference. Also I try not to let the professionals intimidate me. I go in with a reasonable list of needs-my concerns, target behaviors I hope to change and a history what has and has not been effective (printed and sent ahead of time-I will not meet with them unless they've read my history first). I'm approach it all from a practical point of view, I'm not there to make small talk.


Good luck,

clare

 

[hippyman]

hmmmm, I've never even heard of a neuro-psychiatrist before, any idea where I could look for one?

 

[clare]

I went back and fourth for years between neurologists and psychiatrists. Finally last year my Neuro at Lahey Clinic, Massachusetts said they have an MD with Psychiatry that is based on Neurological disorders and brain disorders like alzeimers. While I had already been diagnosed with complex PTSD, the epilepsy made targeting and cognitive behavior modification difficult. The Neuro psych helped sort of tease out which symptoms were likely treatable (with meds) and which could be managed with therapy. For example, grounding techniques don't work well if the adrenaline rush is caused by an on coming grand mal. Petit mal seizures are similar to flash backs, but for me at least caused more by sharp drops in barometric pressure. Anyway try googling in your area or ask your local hospital's neurology department.

Good luck,

clare

 

[hippyman]

well, I should be starting with a new neurologist sometime soon, so I might talk to him about this, idk about the one I'm going to now

 

[clare]

Hi Hippyman,

You know, I worry that PTSD is thrown around too much by therapists and since you've had a traumatic event that can easily result in PTSD I'm afraid they'd overlook some of the neuro factors. One thing that may help is to keep a record or diary of symptoms. It's easier to relate to diagnosticians when you've got some statistics. In the mean time read all you can here particularly the info threads. I was kind of on the fence about my PTSD diagnosis-still preferring my symptoms to be resulting from seizures that can be treated easier with meds. After digesting alot of the info here, I've acknowledged the problem and found great support in the members experiences and advice.

Wish you well in your efforts to find peace and understanding,

clare