Undiagnosed New To Ptsd

[Doreen]

I was told by a PTSD suffer that me, my daughter and grandson are showing signs of having PTSD. I'm new to this site and totally confused about all of this. None of us have been diagnosed, we are looking for any suggestions on what to do to get a handle on this.

 

[Jane.l]

Hi Doreen - did the PTSD sufferer explain why they think this could be the case ?

 

[Doreen]

Yes. Because I'm angry, I get afraid of everything. I have issues with communication. I'm concerned that someone may try to hurt me.

 

[WillyKat]

Welcome.

None of us here can diagnose you and I suspect the PTSD sufferer you mentioned can't either. Moreover, PTSD shares symptoms with a number of other disorders.

Were you, your daughter, or grandson traumatized? If you were, that alone may be reason enough to see a professional, whether PTSD applies or not. That said, sometimes people experience trauma and bury the memory. I speak from experience on this. It's possible you were traumatized and don't remember it, at least in the conventional sense.

My advice is to shop around for a good psychologist, one that specializes in trauma, PTSD, or similar "dissociative spectrum" disorders.

 

[Doreen]

Yes we were and remember it all. I'll be talking to my doctor in December about a referal for therapy since I'm positive I need it.

 

[Doreen]

My friend said it was worth looking into, that this could help us regardless.

 

[WillyKat]

December sounds like a long time from now. And its in December, which is a very busy month.

The reason I mentioned shopping around is so you can see two or maybe three psychologists and then decide which one of them you have the best chemistry with. I may have strong opinions on this, which you can take or leave, but I recommend psychologists, not psychiatrists. Just my bias based on past experience.

Psychiatrists are MDs and often turn to medications first because they typically don't have training in how to talk to people. I'm sure your MD is a fine person, but s/he might be tempted to recommend another MD, a psychiatrist rather than someone that's trained to talk to people and cannot write prescriptions. You can always see a psychiatrist later if medications are necessary.

The good news here is that you're reaching out to us here on the forum, and you're beginning to seek treatment. This is not a bad thing, this is not a disaster, this is you loving yourself and your family, and that's a very good thing.

 

[Doreen]

Oh ok, good ideas. I'm only waiting until December because my doctor is on leave until then. I did not know the differences between the two doctors but my doctor is one of the best in my county so I'm sure she'll point me in the right direction.

 

[Manu]

Hi Doreen. I'm new to this site too, but not to PTSD. I've also tried to understand the origins of my issues with extreme anxiety and depression. I've written books about it and spent years in therapy. It was a long time before I was diagnosed with PTSD. Caregivers (Psychiatrists, Psychologists, etc.) use testing and the DSM manual to actually diagnose PTSD, along with you personal history. DSM stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, and it gives criteria for the diagnosis of many psychiatric disorders. Since these issues would be hard to separate otherwise, they are usually clustered in categories, such as re-experiencing symptoms (flashbacks, etc., often triggered by something that seems unrelated and relatively benign), hyper-vigilant symptoms (such as being in a near-constant state of "high alert, fearing some impending catastrophe), and the sense of a shortened future (dying young, for example). I am a Christian believer, so I prayed much for the wisdom to understand what happened to me. My memories were very fragmented in the beginning, and some came in what I called "tactile hallucinations," because they were triggered by touching crumpled paper, for example. I had no way of knowing what that could possibly relate to, but today I do. My family was quite secretive, I suppose thinking children didn't need to know about their past traumas. I gleaned my past trauma history from some blatant clues (my grandmother's bi-polar behavior) and others that were far more subtle (my mother's reactions to her father, for example). It has taken years to recover, but today I feel I have what psychologists call a "cohesive narrative." No one can prove the truth of your experience, because so much of our individual experience is subjective. I have worked with psychiatric social workers as well as psychologists over the years. Psychiatrists generally do not do therapy because they often head mental health programs and supervise other therapists. I saw mine only for an antidepressant prescription. Psychologists do testing and make diagnoses, but psych social workers have been some of the best I've worked with. They tend to look at the family structure as it pertains to you and understand a lot about trauma. The key is to find someone you feel safe with to unravel the "ball of string" as I often think of it. I hope you find someone who can help you, and I hope this site gives you support during your search and your recovery. It is possible to live a better life with help to make sense of the past.
Manu

 

[Doreen]

Oh Manu, I feel for you. I'll definately talk to my doctor and thank you for your comment.

 

[GWhizz]

@Doreen I truly am sorry that you have experienced trauma.

I just wanted to give my 2 cents and I apologise in advance if it seems blunt or harsh, I mean this in the best way possible.

I am a little concerned and alarmed that a ptsd sufferer is suggesting to you that you may have ptsd, let alone 3 of you. I would be a bit worried about them possibly projecting here.

You mention that you all experienced traumas and remember it. Whilst this may well warrant some post trauma therapy to ensure it does not affect you adversely at some other point, not all people have the same responses to stressors and traumas. It is possible that all 3 of you have ptsd. But it's also very plausible that maybe one or none of you have it. Anger issues may be related to a traumatic experience but it does not constitute a ptsd diagnosis per se.

I guess I'm just trying to say - don't go in looking for specific diagnosis'. Treat the root issue if you can find it along with the day-to-day impact it may be having on you now and any other issues you feel are relevant right now in your life.

For your sake, your daughter's and your grandson's, I hope neither of you have ptsd. I would not wish it upon my worst enemy if I'm honest. Okay, maybe I've gone a tad far with that statement. Rather my worst enemy than me lol.

I really hope you find a good therapist/doctor etc and that you can be openminded in overcoming your issues irrespective of whether a diagnosis fits the bill or not.

Good luck

 

[Doreen]

Thank you GWhizz, you're right