Undiagnosed Ptsd For Being Fired From A Job???

[Sweet_E]

Can someone have PTSD from being fired from a job? I was fired 17 years ago from the job I always...

The things that trigger PTSD vary widely from person to person. I certainly think it is possible that what you suffered was traumatic, and perhaps resulted in PTSD. My own PTSD went undiagnosed until I suggested to my therapist that I thought I might have it. Therapists do the best they can with diagnosis but they don't always get it right 100% of the time. You may want to mention why you think you have PTSD and discuss it with your T.

Regardless of the diagnosis, it certainly seems like you were traumatized. You would possibly benefit from some of the same treatments that are used for PTSD, such as EMDR.

Lastly, I'm sorry you have to deal with this. It is frustrating when you feel like you have a more severe condition than the professionals initially think you have. You did a good job articulating your symptoms here. If you are sharing the same info with your T and it doesn't feel like you are being taken seriously, you may want to experiment with seeing another T.

 

[Casey_03]

It's also possible that you're dwelling on being fired because you haven't dealt with some of the trauma you experienced on the job. Another avoidance thing.

 

[Sweet_E]

Thanks for the advice but I just wouldn't even know what to say, I can't even think about calling...

Have you ever been in a situation where you have experienced something painful or stressful and then someone says something like, "Well, I wish I had your problems because I have cancer?" (I hate being around those people!)

There's always going to be someone else's experience that seems to trump yours on the surface. But the truth is, it's your experience and for you it is painful. Your pain is just as valid for you as someone else's pain is for them.

Another thing to consider is that the being fired could have been a secondary triggering event. Apparently it is very common for someone to experience trauma as a child and hold things together pretty well for years. Then an event with some common feeling or characteristic occurs and you completely lose your shit and more fully express the PTSD symptoms. That is what happened to me.

There might be a reason why you suspect PTSD and I would not rule out that diagnosis necessarily.

As for feeling ashamed in asking for help - you don't have to open up about this immediately with someone. It may be in your best interest to see a therapist and you can start out saying you want help for anxiety or depression or something else. That is a very common reason to see a therapist and is very, very reasonable. Once you feel comfortable, when you are ready, you can open up about your feelings around being fired. You can tell the therapist that you feel embarrassed partly because you feel like you have a disproportionate level of distress for the situation you encountered. I have a feeling they might even validate your feelings and tell you that they think it is reasonable to have those lingering feelings if you never processed them. Who knows? Maybe you disassociated from other traumatic events and being fired was the straw that broke the camel's back. Or maybe you were disassociating in order to perform at your job, and then when you got fired, the reason for disassociating was gone so things came to a head. We are complex creatures and whatever you are experiencing is happening for a reason and is valid.

 

[17yearsufferer]

Wow everyone had so good advice/comments. Just reading these made me feel better that I'm not crazy. Well I maybe, but not as bad as I feel crazy. Thank you everyone

 

[The Albatross]

Sorry but jobs come and jobs go... I'm with Friday's posts. Adversity is one thing... losing a job and regretting it is another. There are other "disorders" that may suit though but then you say this (things that make me go hmmmmm) "...think its apparent I will never get professional help because I just can't bring myself to even say what my problem is,"

Which leads me to conclude that you're not really sure what your after here... and you know what? Neither am I except to suggest adversity, regret, and distress... even anxiety do not PTSD make.