A doctor once asked me, 'How do you know you have PTSD?' when my diagnosis was on his computer screen. He then went on to say that he could not help me unless I told him what had happened to me. So I told him and he said, 'Well, I can't help you anyway.' This was emotionally abusive and how I stopped myself dragging him over his desk and punching his lights out I will never know! I was probably in shock and dissociating at the time.
Another doctor told me, 'You are just neurotic. Your husband has serious depression but you are just neurotic.' JUST neurotic! I'd be happy if I was JUST neurotic! My sister also told me I was 'a bit neurotic.'
I do not care who knows I have PTSD and who doesn't nor do I care how they react any more. It used to bother me but I have learned that so long as I know who I am as a person and like being myself, so long as my husband and sons know and love me still, it does not matter. I smile at them and shake my head at their ignorance but it does not knock my confidence the way it used to. If they are interested I give them the full picture of what PTSD is and how it affects a person. I even draw them the PTSD cup!
I see people physically and emotionally back off when I mention PTSD but I also understand that they are afraid of what they do not understand, perhaps they think it is catching? I do get frustrated by it but I don't feel as angry as I used to.
Here is a real gem though. My sister-in-law had to go for an MRI scan and a few days later she had to get into a very packed car. She started to panic and then spent two weeks being looked after by her sister as she could not cope with the panic attack and anxiety. She does not have PTSD and obviously knows very little about it. She said she had...wait for it...'Post Traumatic MRI Scanner Stress Syndrome!' :roflmao:
Oh boy! I fell about laughing after I got of the phone, she was deadly serious!
